The 5 Most Deadly Types of Auto Accidents in Connecticut

Driving a car or other vehicle is inherently dangerous, especially on Connecticut’s congested roads and highways. Crashes can be devastating to drivers, passengers and even bystanders. Certain types of crashes tend to do more harm than others, and some are particularly prone to fatalities.

From January 1, 2018 through July 31, 2021 — a period of just over three-and-a-half years — there were 942 traffic fatalities in our state, according to the University of Connecticut’s Crash Data Repository. Any type of motor vehicle accident can be deadly depending on speed, weather and other conditions. However, the Repository’s compiled data show these five types of crashes to be the deadliest:

• Single-vehicle crashes — Accounting for 577 fatal accidents since January 2018, single-vehicle crashes represent 61 percent of all fatalities.
• Impacts at an angle — This category, which includes T-bone accidents, accounted for 136 fatal crashes.
• Head-on collisions — There were 111 deadly head-on collisions during the three-and-a-half-year period.
• Rear-end collisions — Rear-end impacts caused 67 fatal accidents.
• Sideswipes — Sideswipes caused a total of 34 fatal crashes: 18 of them due to being sideswiped by a vehicle going in the same direction and 16 involving sideswipes by a vehicle going in a different direction.

About one-fifth of the 942 fatalities occurred on the major arteries that crisscross our state, including I-95 (with 56 deaths), I-91 (with 34) and I-84 (with 32).

However, the far greater proportion of vehicular deaths occurred on local streets and roads, which underscores the reality that serious traffic accidents can happen anywhere. If you lost a loved one in a car crash, an experienced attorney can sort through the evidence and explain your legal options. They may include a wrongful death lawsuit if the accident was caused by the negligent or reckless conduct of another driver or someone else involved.

The lawyers of Gesmonde, Pietrosimone & Sgrignari, L.L.C. are skilled in handling fatal accident and wrongful death litigation in Connecticut. We will treat you and your family with respect while vigorously asserting your rights. To arrange a free consultation with one of our attorneys in Hamden or East Haven, please call 203-745-0942 or contact us online.