While darkness is one of many factors that can lead to a collision of motor vehicles, car accidents can of course happen at any time of the day for a variety of other reasons. Earlier this month an afternoon crash involving two vehicles resulted in three individuals being injured. The incident occurred in Penn Hills.

This accident was not just a minor fender-bender. The force of the collision, which took place on Frankstown Road in the vicinity of Wilson Road, left one person trapped in the car. Another was launched from the vehicle in the incident. It is not clear what happened to the third person. All were transported to an area hospital for treatment.

At this point it is not known what caused the vehicles to collide or what part of the cars actually made contact. It is highly probable that an investigation into the matter will reveal just what happened. This is often accomplished by bringing in an accident reconstructionist to dissect the crash second by second.

The information recovered in an investigation sometimes leads to criminal charges against individuals who are responsible for the collision. It may also be a determining factor in whether a personal injury lawsuit will be filed in the matter. These lawsuits are fairly common in situations where someone is seriously hurt in an incident and faces a mountain of medical bills, lost wages and a long period of recovery.

It is unclear whether this type of lawsuit will be filed in this case.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "3 injured in Penn Hills crash," Moriah Balingit, Sept. 26, 2012

• We handle personal injury cases including those related to car accidents. If you would like to learn more about our practice, please visit our Allegheny County motor vehicle accidents page.