Head-on collisions are known as one of the most deadly types of car crashes on the road. That is why if you or a family member suffered serious harm in a head-on accident because of another person’s wrongful actions, you may be entitled to compensation for the resulting losses and injuries.
However, more importantly, you will not have to go after compensation alone. With an experienced car accident attorney fighting for you, you can receive the legal support needed to fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.
To better help you understand how these lawyers can help you after this devastating accident, the below blog will go over everything you need to know about head-on car collisions, including their causes, the injuries that can result, and the financial remedies a car accident lawyer can help you fight for.
What Makes a Head-On Car Crash So Deadly?
A head-on crash refers to a full frontal collision, where two vehicles strike each other front to front, usually as they are heading in opposite directions. However, these accidents can also happen when cars drive straight into stationary objects such as road barriers, trees, or telephone poles.
What’s more, because these cars run into each other head-on, they produce a substantial amount of force, making these crashes some of the most dangerous collisions on the roadways. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute, head-on crashes account for 58 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths.
Common Causes of Head-On Crashes
While there are many potential causes of head-on crashes, in general, these accidents tend to result because of:
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving refers to any activity that takes the motorist’s attention away from driving. These activities include things such as talking on the phone, texting, eating, playing with the radio, or checking directions instead of paying attention to the road. However, when motorists take their eyes off the road, even for an instant, it can cause them to lose control of their vehicle, leading to tragic head-on crashes.
Fatigued Driving
When a motorist is tired because they did not get appropriate rest or have been driving for an extended period of time, they can lose control of their car and veer into oncoming traffic, causing a head-on collision.
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Consuming alcohol, drugs, and even prescription medications can substantially degrade a person’s driving abilities and ultimately inhibit their reasoning skills and reaction time.
Improper Passing
When motorists cross a double yellow line because they are trying to pass illegally, it can lead to a head-on crash with motorists traveling in the opposite direction.
Reckless Driving
When drivers operate their vehicles recklessly, such as driving at high speeds or driving too fast based on road conditions, it can cause them to lose control of their car and result in a frontal crash with opposing traffic or other stationary objects. In addition, since speeding is also known to increase an accident’s severity, head-on collisions due to speeding are more likely to result in catastrophic injuries or even death.
Confusion While Driving
When motorists are driving in new locations, they may have difficulty navigating the area, resulting in driving in the wrong direction. Confused drivers are also more likely to enter one-way streets or highways going the wrong way, which can lead to a head-on crash.
Head-On Accident Injuries
While the severity of the injuries that can result following a head-on accident will depend on the circumstances of the accident, some of the more common car injuries following this type of crash include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Lacerations
- Broken bones
- Neck and back injuries
- Internal organ damage and bleeding
- Soft tissue injuries
- Facial trauma and eye injuries
- Death
Many of these injuries can also lead to long-term medical treatments, resulting in astronomical expenses that can financially hurt the whole family. That is why following a head-on accident, consider discussing the collision with an experienced head-on car accident attorney right away. These lawyers can review the extent of your injuries and losses, figure out which legal options you should pursue, and help you fight for the financial damages you deserve.
The Damages You Can Go After Following a Head-On Car Accident
You may be entitled to certain damages if you sustained serious injuries in a head-on car collision due to another person’s wrongful actions. These damages are usually broken up into the following categories:
Economic Damages
Economic damages refer to payment for the verifiable losses that result from an accident.
These losses include:
- Medical bills related to doctor visits, ambulance transportation services, emergency care, hospital stay, prescription medications, surgeries, assistive medical equipment, rehabilitative therapy, and other medical treatments
- Ongoing medical expenses
- Lost income and business opportunities
- Reduced earning capacity
- Replacement domestic services because the individual can no longer do the tasks without help, such as cleaning services, child care services, or grocery shopping services
- Personal property damages, including car replacement costs or repair expenses
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages refer to payment for the subjective losses that result from an accident.
These personal losses include things such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Physical impairment and disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionships
- Inconvenience
- Humiliation
- Limb loss
Punitive Damages
Head-on crashes can also result in punitive damages. To obtain punitive damages, your lawyer must show through clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with intentional misconduct or gross negligence.
Wrongful Death Damages
A wrongful death refers to a civil action brought by the survivors of an individual who lost their lives in an accident due to another person’s wrongful actions.
Yet, while each state has specific wrongful death laws, including who can file the lawsuit and the damages they can recover, the more common damages that result from these cases include:
- Medical bills resulting from the injuries that resulted in the person’s death
- Loss of financial support that the family would have received had their loved one lived
- Loss of inheritance
- Funeral and burial expenses
However, to know which of these damages may apply to your situation following a head-on accident, consider consulting with an experienced head-on crash attorney as soon as you can. These lawyers can review the applicable state laws, determine the extent of your losses, and figure out which of these damages you can pursue.
The Deadline to File a Lawsuit After a Head-On Accident
A head-on car accident needs a lawyer who understands the statute of limitations. According to this law in each state, victims of a head-on accident will only have a certain amount of time to file their lawsuit after the crash. If they fail to do so, the court can stop them from pursuing compensation.
Yet, while these deadlines will depend on the state where the accident took place, most victims will only have a few years at most to pursue legal action. However, exceptions to this law can also impact these filing deadlines.
To ensure you have enough time to file your case after a head-on accident, contact a skilled car accident attorney as soon as possible. A legal professional can figure out how long you have to file your case and do so before time runs out.
Taking Action After a Head-On Collision
Even though gathering evidence after a head-on crash is probably unlikely, there are other things you can do following this collision that can not only help you stay safe but protect your legal rights as well. These steps include the following:
Get a Police Report
After a car accident, you should call 911 right away. If you cannot do this yourself, yell for someone around you to call on your behalf. Not only will this alert medical personnel and the police of the accident and any injuries, but once the police arrive, they can begin to investigate the accident, determine what happened, and jot down their findings in their police report. If you decide to file a legal claim after the crash, this report can provide critical information, which your attorney can use to fight for the compensation you are entitled to.
Check In With a Doctor
After a head-on crash, even if you do not need emergency medical treatment, you should still get examined by a doctor right away. These collisions can result in devastating injuries, such as brain trauma, that can take some time for symptoms to manifest. However, the longer you delay getting medical treatment, the more debilitating the condition can become.
In addition, these doctors can also provide you with a medical report that can detail the extent of your injuries and show a connection between the head-on crash and the trauma you suffered. This report can be beneficial if the other side argues that your injuries are not that serious or a result of a separate event.
Watch What You Say
Following this accident, you will likely have a lot of people asking what happened. However, before you start going into detail about the accident, you need to remember that what you say can come back to hurt you. For these reasons, it is better not to make any definitive statements about the accident, apologize for anything that transpired, or take any of the blame for the collision.
Work with an Experienced Head-On Accident Attorney To Gather Evidence
Once you get medical treatment, contact an experienced head-on car accident attorney immediately.
Your lawyers can promptly investigate your crash and look for evidence to prove your claim, including photos and video footage of:
- The vehicles involved in the crash
- Damage to these vehicles
- The vehicles’ placement on the roads
- Traffic signs and signals nearby Your injuries
- Traffic and weather conditions at the time of the accident
- Skid marks and other road defects
These lawyers can also look for witnesses who saw what happened to get their testimony, which can be used to corroborate your legal claim.
Contact an Experienced Head-On Crash Attorney and Figure Out Your Legal Options
If you or a loved one suffered debilitating injuries in a head-on accident because of another person’s reckless, negligent, or intentional actions, fight back and go after the justice and financial recovery you deserve. After a head-on crash, reach out to a knowledgeable car crash attorney as soon as possible.
Once retained, your car accident lawyer can:
- Review the circumstances of your accident, figure out if you have a valid legal claim, and help you determine the legal options you should pursue.
- Investigate the collision and look for evidence that can help substantiate your claim.
- Hire experts, such as accident reconstructionists, to help show what happened and who was responsible for the collision.
- Deal with the insurer and the defendants and go after a just settlement offer.
- Proceed to trial if the other party refuses to provide you with the necessary settlement and fight for maximum compensation.
Do not wait any longer to figure out your legal options after a head-on crash. Instead, contact an experienced personal injury attorney in Myrtle Beach today for a free case consultation and find out how you can go after the financial damages you deserve.
