CALL (800) 863-5312 TO SPEAK WITH A HEAD-ON COLLISION LAWYERS FOR FREE
Car accidents are always unpleasant, but some are worse than others. Minor fender-benders and other small accidents, while frustrating and stressful, can be taken care of rather easily. However, a head-on collision is one of the most frightening car accidents a person can experience in their lifetime.
Head-on collisions are defined as collisions where the front ends of two vehicles collide with each other as they are traveling opposite directions. They can leave victims with severe physical injuries as well as extensive damage to their vehicle, neither of which is cheap to address. Car accident victims do not need to fight their battle alone, though. The experienced attorneys at Zinda Law Group may be able to help you and your family in your time of need.
If you or a family member has been injured in a head-on collision, contact the experienced lawyers at Zinda Law Group at (800) 863-5312 for a free case evaluation.
HOW DO HEAD-ON COLLISIONS HAPPEN?
Head-on car accidents are typically the result of a “wrong-way driver,” i.e., a driver who is driving on the wrong side of the street. A number of causes can lead a driver to driver on the wrong side of the road and cause an accident. For example, a drunk or drugged driver driving at night can easily become disoriented and try to enter or exit a freeway or interstate going the wrong way on a ramp.
Head-on collisions are not always the result of drinking and driving, however. A distracted driver, such as a driver who is looking down at her phone to get directions or change the music can lose track of the road and cross over to the wrong side if the street that she is driving on is undivided. Momentary distractions like this can lead to devastating consequences.
HEAD-ON COLLISION STATISTICS
The consequences of a head-on car wreck can be devastating. This is because of the physics involved in a collision that involves two cars driving in the opposite direction. If a driver runs into a stationary object like a light pole, their own vehicle is the only thing supplying force to the accident. However, a head-on collision involves cars moving in opposite directions, which can essentially double the force involved. For example, imagine a head-on collision in which the two cars are each driving at 30 MPH. The force involved in this accident will be similar to an accident in which a single car hit a stationary object at 60 MPH, the combined speed of the cars.
These types of accidents kill motorists at a high rate. In 2017, despite making up a relatively small number of total accidents, head-on collisions comprised around 10% of all fatal crashes.
WHAT HAPPENS TO A PERSON IN A HEAD-ON CAR CRASH?
The potential injuries in a head-on collision are wide-ranging and severe. A few of the more common types of injuries include:
Neck and Back Injuries
Head-on accidents will typically result in a very sudden change of speed for the driver, which can cause their head, which is not restrained by the seat belt, to snap forward violently. The injuries stemming from this can range from minor whiplash to major spinal cord injuries requiring extensive medical attention.
Read More:
- What Should I Do If I Have Muscle Spasms After a Car Accident?
- What Should I Do If I Have Back Pain After a Car Accident?
Head Injuries
Head injuries can be the result of a direct blow to the head or the brain striking the inside of the skull as it is jostled around during the accident. Head injuries can be particularly dangerous because the symptoms may not seem severe to the victim after the accident, and they even may take a few days to appear. Even the most minor potential head injuries should be checked by a doctor immediately after an accident.
Broken Bones
Due to the sheer force involved in a head-on collision, broken bones are often part of the aftermath. Seatbelts will typically help somewhat in mitigating damages, but arms and legs are at risk of colliding into the interior of the car and causing broken bones.
WHO IS AT FAULT?
In most car accidents, there will be a driver who is at fault, and therefore responsible for the injuries that they cause. A driver may be at fault if they were driving negligently, i.e., not exercising the normal amount of care that is expected of motorists. Things can become more complicated, however, when multiple drivers may be at fault, and certain situations can arise where none of the drivers involved can be said to be at fault.
Typically, the driver who is driving the wrong way on the street will be the driver who is at fault. A drunk driver who swerves into oncoming traffic will typically bear liability for the injuries that they cause. However, it is not always this simple. For example, a driver may have a tire blowout which leads them to swerve into oncoming traffic, or they may have been forced onto the other side of the road by negligent actions of a third driver who does not end up involved in the accident itself.
HOW TO FILE A CLAIM FOR A CAR ACCIDENT
Head-on collisions can vary greatly in type and severity. However, the process for filing a claim will generally follow some basic steps.
1. Contact an Attorney
The first step in any car accident claim should be contacting an experienced car accident attorney in your area. A head-on collision lawyer may be able to give you an explanation of what your case might be worth as well as what your options are. They then may be able to stand with you as your advocate as you fight for compensation.
Read More:
- What Questions Should I Ask When Looking for a Car Accident Lawyer?
- When to Hire an Attorney After a Car Accident?
2. Investigation
After you have hired your attorney, they may be able to begin gathering the necessary information for your case. This might include things like police reports, photo or video evidence, and statements from the people involved as well as any witnesses.
3. Negotiate a Settlement
This step is extremely important because most cases will settle before they ever reach the courtroom. At this stage, your attorney may be able to help you argue for maximum compensation by highlighting the strengths of your position while minimizing any weaknesses that might exist.
Learn More: How to Negotiate with an Insurance Company
HEAD-ON CAR ACCIDENT SETTLEMENTS
In general, if another driver is at fault for your injuries, then they may be held financially liable for them. This means that you might receive damages, both economic and non-economic. Economic damages are costs like medical bills, damage to property, and any lost wages from not being able to work. Non-economic damages include the pain and suffering that you experience as a result of your injuries.
Cases are not always black and white in terms of fault. A court could determine that both parties share equally in the fault, or that one party is 10% responsible while the other party is 90% responsible. The rules of your state will determine exactly how these situations are handled.
Learn More: How to Calculate the Value of Case
THE HEAD-ON COLLISION LAWYERS AT ZINDA LAW GROUP MAY BE ABLE TO HELP
Zinda Law Group attorneys are standing by and may be able to help you navigate your post-accident road to recovery. Zinda Law Group believes that accident victims shouldn’t have to worry about their ability to afford legal representation, which is why we use a no-win, no-fee system—you don’t pay us anything unless we win your case.
If you or a family member has been injured in a head-on collision, contact the accident lawyers at Zinda Law Group at (800) 863-5312 for a free case evaluation.
Meetings with attorneys by appointment only.
