事故に見舞われる

The phrase '事故に見舞われる' (jiko ni mimawareru) combines '事故' (jiko), meaning 'accident' or 'incident,' and '見舞われる' (mimawareru), which is the passive form of '見舞う' (mimau). '見舞う' (mimau) originally meant to visit someone, especially to inquire about their health or to offer condolences. Over time, its meaning expanded to include experiencing or being afflicted by something, often something undesirable or unfortunate, such as an illness, a disaster, or, as in this case, an accident. The etymology of '見舞う' itself can be traced back to the combination of '見る' (miru), meaning 'to see' or 'to look at,' and '舞う' (mau), which generally means 'to dance' or 'to flutter,' but in this context, it might have originally implied a respectful or formal visit, or perhaps a more active engagement with the situation. Therefore, '事故に見舞われる' literally means 'to be visited/afflicted by an accident,' conveying the sense of encountering or being caught in an unfortunate event. This phrase has been in use for a considerable period in Japanese, reflecting the long-standing linguistic patterns of expressing passive experiences of misfortune. The specific combination with '事故' would have become common as the word '事故' itself gained prominence to describe various incidents.