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Why are women at greater risk for injuries in crashes?

On Behalf of | Oct 26, 2021 | Car Accidents |

Unfortunately, women may be more vulnerable to suffering injuries in car crashes. It is helpful to understand why that is and also be familiar with the legal protections that may be available to all victims of car accidents, women included, when they have been harmed by a negligent driver.

What are the reasons?

Women are much more likely that men to suffer serious injuries if they are involved in a car accident. New research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety revealed that the heightened risk for women has more to do with the types of vehicles women commonly drive and the circumstances of the car crashes they are involved in rather than the physical differences between men and women.

Men are involved in more fatal car accidents, however, on a per-crash basis, women are 20% to 28% more likely than men to be killed in a car accident and are 37% to 73% more likely to be seriously injured in a car accident after adjustments are made for speed and other factors. Women are also substantially more likely to suffer leg injuries in car accidents.

Research showed that women tend to drive smaller and lighter vehicles and are more often in the vehicle that is struck in the car accident in side-impact and front-to-rear car accidents. In front crashes, women are 3 times more likely to suffer a moderate injury such as a concussion or broken bone and twice as likely to suffer a serious injury such as a traumatic brain injury or collapsed lung. In side crashes, the odds of suffering a moderate injury were roughly equivalent for men and women, while women were 50% more likely to be seriously injured in side crashes.

Car accidents can lead to significant damages for victims who may be unexpectedly, and seriously, injured in a car accident. A personal injury claim for damages can help injured victims seek compensation for they physical, financial and emotional damages from the negligent driver responsible for harming them.