Head-On Collision Accident Lawyers

Suggestions and Information for Accident Law, Settlements, and Lawsuits for Head-on Collisions Caused by Wrong-Way Motorists

Head-on collisions, particularly collisions caused by wrong way drivers, continue to tragically claim the lives of fatality victims on U.S. interstates and roads. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that drivers traveling the wrong way on interstates cause between one and two percent of all traffic-related fatalities. Unfortunately, the number of fatal head-on collisions continues to rise according to the data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Based on FARS, approximately 400 people die annually in deadly head-on crashes, and the frequency of these collisions continues to increase.

Few people would be surprised to learn that these types of accidents commonly involve motorists impaired by intoxicating substances like alcohol, prescription drugs, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, or illicit narcotics. A recent report found that in nearly half to two-thirds of accidents caused by wrong way drivers, those drivers were also substance-impaired. Motorists with impaired judgment and compromised perception face a greater risk of entering a freeway off-ramp because they fail to notice warning signs, or they become easily confused. Other things that often play a factor in causing head-on crashes include distracted drivers, elderly motorists, and confusing warning signs. Limited visibility during the night and early morning hours can make it more difficult for motorists to notice warning signs. Head-on accidents also tend to be more common at night when drunk drivers are often on the roads after a night of partying.

Head-on crashes cause a relatively high number of fatalities compared to other types of collisions. Even when both vehicles travel at relatively low speeds, the force of impact can be devastating when vehicles crash head-on. The energy from the speed of the vehicles moving in opposite directions is aggregated, so that two vehicles both moving at a speed of 60 miles per hour will collide with a force of 120 mph. The devastation caused by this force of impact can total a car and cause permanent, debilitating injuries to vehicle occupants. This threat of injury caused by a head-on collision can be worsened by projectiles like flying glass from broken windows that endanger all vehicle occupants.

Approximately 10 percent of crash-related fatalities are the result of a head-on crash.

Head-on accidents tend to be more common on two-lane highways with no center median or barrier in more sparsely populated areas. Without concrete barriers, guardrails, or a center median, it is much easier for a drowsy, intoxicated, and distracted motorist to drift into an adjacent lane. Texting while driving is another culprit in causing head-on collisions; studies have revealed that a driver checking a text message can travel the distance of a football field while averting his or her eyes from the roadway. Drivers also make judgment errors that can be exacerbated by alcohol or drugs. A driver might presume it is safe to enter the adjacent lane to pass a slower-moving vehicle, but misjudge the distance and speed of a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction in the same lane.

Tragically, motorists who are alert and cautious have very limited options for reacting and avoiding a vehicle barreling toward them in the same lane. The combined speed of the two vehicles affords even an alert driver limited response time to take evasive action and avoid a collision after a car has drifted into their traffic lane. While a poorly lit road at night always presents a challenge, this scene becomes terrifying when headlights approach in the same lane as both vehicles move, especially when moving at interstate speeds.

A recent tragic story about a woman in a head-on collision serves as a frightening reminder of the serious nature of this type of collision. The woman’s Ford Explorer was traveling on I-85 northeast of Metro Atlanta. As she approached Braselton in Jackson County, she collided with an 18-wheeler before slamming into another tractor-trailer and a van. She suffered severe injuries after being ejected from her vehicle. While the collision was still under investigation at the time of the drafting of this article, news reports indicate that law enforcement suspects alcohol was a factor in causing the crash.

Receiving Compensation in a Car Accident Claim or Lawsuit

Minor head-on collisions tend to be non-existent, because these crashes disproportionately result in permanent life-threatening injuries or fatalities. When a person is injured by a driver headed in the wrong direction, the motorist violating the rules of the road can be liable for negligently injuring the vehicle occupants in both their own vehicle, as well as any cars that they crash into. Injured victims can have the right to financial compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, property damage, lost income, and other damages and losses.

When a negligent driver causes a fatality in a crash, a wrongful death lawsuit can provide compensation. Damages might be available for both the estate of the deceased and certain losses personally incurred by designated surviving family members; however, these damages will vary depending on the applicable law of the jurisdiction. It’s important to consult an experienced attorney who take the necessary actions to protect your legal rights, and who will fight to get you the compensation you deserve.

Individuals injured in an auto collision should seek legal advice promptly to safeguard their rights and remedies. Click here to receive a free case analysis and consultation with an experienced national car accident law firm.