Head-on collisions are severe car accidents that cause injuries and deaths every day in America. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 56 percent of all vehicle fatalities occurred in head-on crashes in 2018 alone. Head-on collisions create many difficult legal questions, so it is important to contact an experienced car accident attorney for legal counsel.
How Do Head-On Collisions Occur?
Head-on collisions are commonly caused by:
- Distracted driving: Drivers are strongly encouraged to stay off their phones while on the road.
- Drugged driving or drunk driving: You should get a ride home if you have been out drinking.
- Drowsy driving: You should not get behind the wheel if you are sleepy. Also, large truck drivers fall victim to drowsy driving because they drive long routes with strict deadlines.
- Unsafe passing: One might cause an accident by driving the wrong way or merging into lanes unsafely.
- Driver error: One might skid on a slick road because you were driving too fast for the current conditions.
Proving Fault in an Accident
Most accident injury cases involve negligence, duty of care, and cause. You must show that the other driver was negligent when they caused the accident. Negligence includes texting and driving, searching for another song to listen to, and drowsy driving.
You have a duty of care while you are on the road. In order to be compensated, you must prove that the defendant breached their duty of care when they were behind the wheel. You must also prove that the accident caused your injuries. This may be difficult to achieve, so it is advised to seek immediate medical attention and a lawyer immediately.
What Do You Say to Your Insurance Company and the Police?
You must report your accident per the guidelines of your insurance policy. However, you should not give a recorded statement or offer too much information. You should call 911 immediately after an accident to obtain a police report and medical attention. Do not apologize for the accident; you may think you are being polite but saying something could be misconstrued as guilt.
Damages
Head-on crashes can cause permanent physical and emotional damage. You might even lose someone in an accident, and you deserve to be compensated fairly for your losses. An experienced lawyer can recover:
- Property damages
- Medical bills
- Disability damages
- Wrongful death damages
Your current and future medical bills may be included in the lawsuit, and you can file a separate wrongful death lawsuit if you lost a family member in the crash. Wrongful death lawsuits must be filed by a representative of the deceased’s estate or an immediate family member. If no immediate family members are left behind or the representative of the estate does not file a claim, extended family members may file a lawsuit for wrongful death if they depended on the deceased.
Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC Provide Legal Counsel to Victims Injured in Head-On Collisions
If you were injured in a head-on collision, the Philadelphia car accident lawyers at McCann Dillon Jaffe & Lamb, LLC help victims recover from their injuries by obtaining the compensation they deserve. Call us at 215-569-8488 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation today. Located in Philadelphia, Abington, and Media, Pennsylvania; Wilmington, Delaware; and Haddonfield, New Jersey, we serve clients from the surrounding areas.