How Do Head-on Car Crashes Frequently Happen?
Head-on car accidents frequently happen due to negligent drivers. For example, drivers might exceed the speed limit, engage in road rage, or execute reckless and irresponsible driving maneuvers, such as passing other vehicles in a no-passing zone or without a turn signal. When drivers violate traffic laws, they significantly increase their chances of causing a head-on collision. Next, some head-on collisions happen when people drive inattentively. For example, a driver might program their GPS navigation device, adjust the volume on their radio, or text on a tablet or cellular phone instead of observing the road. At other times, the horseplay of other passengers may distract a driver. Any of these activities may turn a driver's attention away from the road, causing them to negligently lose their focus, cross the centerline, and hit an oncoming vehicle. Finally, some head-on motor vehicle crashes result from intoxicated and impaired driving. Drivers who have a blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, that is 0.08 percent or higher are legally intoxicated. Consequently, a police officer can arrest them for DUI (or some other related drunk driving offense), and they may have to pay criminal fines and other penalties. Additionally, if their intoxication leads to a head-on traffic collision, and as a result, an accident victim suffers injuries or death, the at-fault driver's insurance company may have to pay the accident victim or their family monetary compensation. Intoxicated driving can significantly affect a driver's senses and depth perception. It may also limit their concentration and impair their vision. Therefore, an intoxicated driver can quickly lose control of their vehicle or cross the double center line, bringing about a head-on crash. Additionally, drunk or drugged driving can impair drivers' reflexes and delay their reaction time, preventing them from stopping their vehicle before causing a head-on accident. If you or a person you love suffered physical injuries in an accident resulting from another driver's careless and reckless behavior, immediately consult a personal injury attorney about your legal options. Your lawyer can determine if you can file a personal injury claim or lawsuit against the responsible driver, and if so, can assist you with every step of the process. Your lawyer will aggressively advocate on your behalf and work to secure the favorable monetary benefits and compensation you deserve for your injuries.Injuries in Head-on Car Accidents
Head-on car crashes are arguably the most severe accidents. Affected drivers and passengers may suffer severe injuries and sometimes fatalities. In many head-on crashes, accident victims may suffer permanent injuries. These injuries rarely improve with time and may cause accident victims ongoing pain, suffering, and inconvenience for the rest of their lives. A head-on car accident victim's injuries will depend on various factors, including their position in the vehicle at the time of the accident, the force of the collision, the accident circumstances, and their bodily movements inside the vehicle during the crash. Some of the most common injuries that head-on car crash victims may suffer include:- Traumatic brain and head injuries
- Broken bones
- Rib fractures
- Soft tissue neck and back injuries
- Open lacerations
- Bruising
- Internal organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Spinal cord damage
- Full or partial paralysis injuries
- Death
Legally Proving a Third-party Head-on Car Crash Claim
In a personal injury claim or lawsuit resulting from a head-on car accident, the victim has the sole legal burden of proof in the case. Specifically, they must establish that the other driver deviated from the standard of care by acting unreasonably under the circumstances. In most situations, this means that the other driver must have violated one or more traffic laws or otherwise drove carelessly or recklessly. For example, the other driver might have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs, resulting in a head-on crash. Next, the accident victim must legally establish that the other driver's negligent or reckless behavior caused the subject car crash. Finally, the accident victim must demonstrate that they suffered at least one physical injury as a direct result of their head-on accident. Accident victims will typically need a qualified medical provider to be on board to prove medical causation. A healthcare provider can allege, based upon a reasonable degree of medical certainty, that the claimed injury or injuries directly resulted from the accident and/or that one or more of those injuries are permanent.Negotiating With the Insurance Company for Monetary Compensation
After filing a personal injury claim on your behalf, a car accident attorney can negotiate favorable settlement compensation. A settlement demand package will include a demand letter that makes a monetary demand for a fair settlement in your case. That demand package will also include various documents to support the legal elements of your claim. Those documents may include police reports, statements from witnesses, video camera footage of the accident, injury photographs, property damage photographs, and a statement that you prepare about how the accident has affected your life. Your attorney can then submit this demand package to the insurance company on your behalf and start negotiating a settlement. Insurance company adjusters will never offer you the fair monetary recovery you need. Insurance companies stand to lose significant money by paying out a large financial settlement in a car accident claim. Your lawyer can aggressively negotiate on your behalf and work to secure the favorable monetary damages you deserve for your injuries. If the insurance company refuses to take your case seriously, your lawyer can file a lawsuit in court and litigate your case through the system.Potential Monetary Damages Resulting from a Head-on Car Accident
Victims of head-on car crashes frequently stand to suffer severe and sometimes fatal injuries. Head-on collisions typically occur at high speeds and may cause one or both vehicles to fold in on one another, leading to devastating injuries. The monetary compensation that a car crash victim recovers will usually depend on the specific accident circumstances, the speeds of the vehicles, the force of the collision, the injuries that the accident victim suffered, the medical treatment that the accident victim underwent, and the cost of that medical treatment. First, accident victims can recover monetary damages for their past and future medical costs. They can also recover monetary damages for their various intangible losses. For example, they can claim past and future inconvenience, pain, and suffering. They can also recover monetary damages for their emotional and mental distress, loss of spousal companionship, loss of life enjoyment, loss of the ability to use a body part, permanent disfigurement or disability, and lifetime care costs if they must reside at a long-term care facility or nursing home due to their injuries. An experienced car crash attorney can determine the likely settlement or verdict value of your case based on prior experience. Your lawyer can also answer all of your legal questions during the process and help you make intelligent and informed decisions about how best to proceed with your case.Wrongful Death Claims Arising From a Head-on Car Crash
In some cases, victims of head-on car crashes suffer fatal injuries. In those situations, the accident victim's surviving family members can bring a wrongful death claim or lawsuit against the at-fault driver or their insurance company. The elements of proof in a wrongful death claim are similar to the legal elements in an ordinary personal injury claim. However, the accident victim's surviving family members must establish that the accident victim's death directly resulted from the head-on car crash. Wrongful death claimants may recover monetary damages, including compensation for funeral and burial expenses and loss of the accident victim's ongoing comfort, care, and companionship. A compassionate wrongful death attorney in your area can maximize the monetary recovery you receive and obtain the justice you deserve.Filing a Timely Car Accident Lawsuit
Victims of head-on car accidents do not have unlimited time to seek monetary recovery for their injuries. Specifically, under the statute of limitations, accident victims only have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit for monetary damages, beginning on the date of their accident. If an accident victim files a lawsuit after the statute of limitations has already expired in their case, they can no longer recover any monetary damages for their accident-related losses. Therefore, if you recently suffered injuries in a crash, take the necessary legal steps right away.Call a Car Crash Attorney about Your Legal Matter Today
Robert Bohn, Jr.
Attorney
For more than 40 years, the lawyers at Robert Bohn, Jr. has dedicated their practices to personal injury law, representing people who have been injured or damaged due to the negligence or carelessness of others. For most people, handling a personal injury claim can be complicated and stressful.
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