Backover accidents, also known as reverse collisions or reversing accidents, refer to incidents where a vehicle moving in reverse strikes a stationary object, person, or other vehicle behind it. These often occur when backing up in places with low visibility, such as driveways or large parking lots.
Backover collisions involving pedestrians frequently result in serious personal injury or death, given the unsafe position of the person behind the reversing vehicle.
If you were injured in a backover accident in New York, contact the Porter Law Group to help you claim the compensation you deserve. We offer free, no-obligation consultations and work on a conteigency-fee basis, so you don't pay unless you win!
What are Backover Accidents?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines backover accidents as those where a car, truck, or other vehicle moving backwards hits someone or something behind it. Also known as non-traffic vehicular accidents, these accidents differ from more widely recognized rear-end crashes as they do not occur on public roads and often involve very low speeds. However, despite happening at less than 10 mph, backover collisions can still cause significant damage and injury due to the vehicle’s size and limited awareness.
Any location allowing vehicle reversing possesses inherent backover risks. Residential driveways, parking lots, alleys, loading docks, and private roads rank among the most common sites. Larger vehicles, including SUVs, trucks, and buses, increase the chances due to expanded blind spots. Children, shorter adults, wheelchair users, and the elderly face heightened vulnerability as pedestrian collision victims.
Importance of Awareness and Prevention
While less publicized than other accident categories, backover collisions warrant equal attention and precaution. NHTSA estimates over 250 fatalities and over 18,000 injuries from backovers annually in the United States alone. Additionally, the true toll remains uncertain given frequent misclassification under broader statistics.
What Causes Backover Accidents?
Examining the typical causes behind backover accidents empowers drivers and pedestrians alike to recognize and respond to hazardous scenarios. The three predominant causes include: driver blind spots, driver inattention, and ineffective vehicle design.
Blind Spots
A vehicle’s blind spot comprises areas around the car or truck obscured from the driver’s view. All vehicles possess inherent blind zones, but larger vehicles present exponentially greater challenges. Even with properly adjusted side-view mirrors, drivers experience front, side, and rear blind spots spanning several feet. Backing into stationary items or people within these zones proves unavoidable without conscious precaution.
Driver Inattention
Driver distraction and carelessness constitute another leading backover cause. Drivers often fail to notice people or objects around their vehicle while focusing elsewhere. Backing up requires full attention and awareness of the reversing path, yet drivers frequently divert concentration from this task while on cell phones, checking mirrors, or glancing elsewhere. This divides focus, slows reaction time, and impairs preparedness to brake.
Ineffective Vehicle Design
Vehicle defects producing expanded blind spots or reversed cameras substantially heighten backover dangers. Maladjusted side mirrors, broken rearview cameras, sensors, or warning alarms disable visual and auditory cues, prompting drivers to be aware of their surroundings while reversing. Without proper equipment functioning, drivers experience amplified challenges when safely navigating in reverse.
Statistics and Impact of Backover Accidents
- Over 200 fatalities occur annually from backover accidents in the United States, approximating over 500 deaths every 3 years. Children under 5 years old and adults over 70 years old face heightened fatality rates as collision victims.
- From 2008 to 2018, toddlers accounted for 89% of backover fatalities among children under 5 years old. 31% of these cases involved a larger vehicle, typically an SUV or truck.
- Emergency room visits for backover injuries reached roughly 18,000 people per year from 2004 to 2008, according to examined data.
- Estimates determine that only 30% of all backing accidents get documented. Thus, actual injuries likely far exceed the currently available statistics.
These figures highlight the prevalence of backing collisions among high-risk demographics like small children and elderly citizens.
How Can You Prevent Backover Accidents?
Implementing prudent safeguards substantially minimizes backover risks for drivers and pedestrians alike. Strategies focus on maximizing visibility, installing warning mechanisms, and modifying habits and environments prone to reversing threats.
- Drivers: Remain vigilant when reversing through consistent mirror checks, walking behind the vehicle pre-driving, and installing supplemental cameras if available. Enlist spotters when backing up in crowded areas.
- Parents: Direct children to avoid walking behind vehicles. Block access to driveways using fences or barriers to prevent wandering into reversing pathways. Teach children to only cross in designated spots once drivers provide the signal.
- Pedestrians: Stay alert in parking lots and other areas where vehicles operate, avoiding stepping behind cars when possible by utilizing sidewalks and crosswalks. Make eye contact with drivers before crossing to confirm awareness.
- Workplaces: Separate parking and walking traffic flows entirely. Install prominent signs advising caution in vehicle operation zones. Implement maximum speed limits under 5 mph, specifically for backing up.
Legal and Insurance Aspects of Backover Accidents
Beyond physical damage, backover collisions carry legal and financial consequences requiring navigation. Determining fault and liability proves complex, often involving layered insurance claims.
Police generally assign primary blame upon the driver in backover crashes due to a reversed vehicle holding responsibility to yield right of way. However, shared negligence occasionally occurs, such as in incidents involving driver distraction paired with pedestrian recklessness. Investigators assess each unique scenario across contributing factors.
Victims frequently pursue legal action, particularly in cases involving long-term medical care needs. Lawsuits search for accountability and assistance in covering steep healthcare costs while skillful legal teams examine the intricate details, differentiating avoidable errors from accidental misfortune when building cases.
For at-fault drivers, backover crashes lead to traffic citations, arrests, or criminal charges, depending on severity factors. Driver distraction infractions, including cell phone usage while driving, carry harsher judgments. Surpassing safe speed limits, ignoring pedestrians’ right of way, or failing to first ensure a clear path also produce steeper convictions.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a backover accident, you need an excellent personal injury lawyer to guide you throughout the process.
Claiming Damages for Backover Accidents?
Backover collisions deliver life-altering impacts warranting attentive deterrence on all fronts.
While continued efforts in automotive reversing technology assist drivers, human errors persist in a majority of cases annually. These accidents cause minor to serious injuries that are considered damages in a legal case.
Let the Porter Law Group help you claim the compensation you deserve. Send us a message through our contact form or call us at 833-PORTER9 to schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
