Driving the right way on the road is one of the most basic aspects of driving. Unfortunately, there are many times when people can’t master even this skill. When this happens, the result can be catastrophic. Especially at highway speeds, a head-on collision between vehicles can result in serious injury or death to people in both cars as the extreme conditions of the accident overwhelm even the highly engineered safety features of modern vehicles.

In head-on collisions, it is also typically very clear which driver is at fault. If you have been injured or lost a loved one because some driver was going the wrong way on the street, you deserve compensation. At Fisher & Talwar, we are prepared to fight for the compensation you are due, using our experience, expertise, and dedication to fight for the full compensation you are owed under the law. To learn how we can help you, please contact us today for a free initial consultation. Get all your questions answered. There’s no cost and no obligation. 

Causes of Head-on Collisions

In 2012, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) prepared a detailed study of head-on collisions, looking at the underlying causes of these accidents. The causes of head-on collisions, the NTSB highlighted, included:

  • Alcohol consumption: In fatal head-on collisions, 60% of the wrong-way drivers had been drinking, as compared to just 7% of right-way drivers. Heavy consumption of alcohol makes people more likely to make serious errors in judgment, including driving the wrong way. Nearly 60% of wrong-way drivers had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.15 or greater.
  • Age: Although wrong-way driving is a phenomenon that affects drivers of all ages, drivers over the age of 70 are much more likely to be the wrong-way driver in a deadly head-on collision. Of drivers aged 70-79 involved in a head-on collision, 71% were the wrong-way driver. For drivers aged 80 or older, 97% of those involved in fatal head-on collisions were the wrong-way driver.
  • Careless or reckless driving: Careless or reckless driving can cause people to miss important warnings that they are traveling the wrong way on a controlled-access highway. 
  • Distracted driving: Although the legal travel direction is clearly posted on most highways and one-way roads, a distracted driver might miss them.

As you can see, many of the causes of head-on collisions are related to negligent behaviors by the wrong-way driver, such as drinking and driving, driving recklessly, or distracted driving. 

Dangers of Head-on Collisions

Because of the speeds involved, head-on collisions tend to be much more dangerous than other types of collisions. Only about 3% of collisions are head-on collisions, but when they do occur, they are much more deadly. Research by the California Department of Transportation (CDOT) concluded that head-on collisions were 12 times more likely to be fatal than other types of collisions (cited by NTSB). Although wrong-way drivers are frequently killed, head-on collisions can also cause significant casualties among other people. In a head-on collision, for example, the momentum of a passenger car becomes a significant danger to buses and even semi-trucks.

Even when similarly sized, cars involved in head-on collisions can have their crash countermeasures overwhelmed. Crumple zones can only absorb so much energy before they have to collapse into the passenger area. Seat belts and secondary restraint systems attempt to disperse the impact energy, but they may not be able to disperse the full energy from a head-on collision.

In addition, once a car is involved in a head-on collision, it is at risk of being struck by other vehicles traveling in the normal travel direction. They may be rear-ended, or they may be struck on the side if the head-on collision reoriented the car. These secondary collisions create additional risks, especially once crumple zones are damaged and secondary restraint systems deployed. 

Common Injuries in Head-on Collisions

Although head-on collisions can cause the same injuries as other types of car accidents, the injuries tend toward the more severe side. Some of the more characteristic injuries in head-on collisions include:

Although modern cars are designed to reduce the severity of injuries that drivers and passengers experience, head-on collisions are more likely to overwhelm these countermeasures, resulting in serious, even deadly injuries. TBI, spinal injuries, lost limbs, and organ damage are all more common in head-on collisions. These injuries often result in death at the scene or in the days following, despite the best efforts of medical caregivers. 

How Much Is My Wrong-Way Accident Lawsuit Worth?

As with other types of traffic accident lawsuits, the goal is to make the responsible party or parties pay for the full extent of damages caused by the accident. This can include both economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages are damages with a direct monetary cost. These can include:

  • Medical bills, including:
    • ER visit
    • Hospital stay
    • Doctor care
    • Prescriptions
    • Durable medical equipment
    • Ongoing treatment and therapy
  • Lost wages, such as:
    • Missed work
    • Diminished earning capacity
    • Missed opportunities for promotion or bonuses
  • Additional costs such as:
    • Hiring help, including for cooking, cleaning, and childcare
    • Accommodations for disability

In addition to economic damages, you can pursue compensation for noneconomic damages related to your wrong-way accident. These damages are just as real as economic damages, but they are harder to translate into direct monetary value. These damages can include:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Diminished quality of life
  • Disability
  • Disfigurement

Sometimes, courts can elect to add punitive damages to a lawsuit. These damages are intended not to compensate the victim for their injuries, but to punish a transgressor when their actions are especially negligent or deliberately uncaring of the consequences to others. Although these damages are punitive, they are generally paid to the accident victim. 

Wrongful Death and Survival Actions

Head-on collisions are more likely to be deadly than other types of accidents. Therefore, it’s important to understand the potential actions you can take when you have lost a loved one. In general, you might be able to take two different types of actions:

  • Wrongful death
  • Survival actions

A wrongful death lawsuit is taken on behalf of you and/or other surviving relatives who experienced a loss as a result of a person’s death. These are typically people who were dependents or otherwise involved with the deceased and experienced a loss when the person died. This can be economic damages, such as the wages that they would bring home,or noneconomic damages, such as guidance, affection, and other comforts.

A survival action is undertaken on behalf of the deceased and their estate. It attempts to recoup damages experienced by the deceased as a result of the accident. This can include their medical bills or other expenses related to the accident. It can also include noneconomic damages like the pain and suffering a person experienced before they died.

Why Choose Fisher & Talwar for Your Head-On Collision Lawsuit?

If you were hurt or lost a loved one in a head-on collision in Los Angeles or other parts of California, there are likely many lawyers who want to take your case. It’s important that you take the time to consider all your options carefully and choose the lawyer that you think is the best choice for your situation. At Fisher & Talwar, we believe we are the right choice for many people in this situation because of our track record of success, the personal care we offer, and our family-friendly billing structure.

  • Successful record: Fisher & Talwar has successfully helped many of our clients win compensation in traffic accidents. This includes winning multiple million-dollar traffic accident lawsuits for clients. We understand how to win these cases, and we can put our experience to work for you.
  • Personal attention: When you work with Fisher & Talwar, you always know you are getting the full benefit of our experience. That’s because your case will always be handled by one of our partners. We never hand your case off to a junior attorney or legal assistant. We can do this because we are very selective of the cases we take. We will only take your case if we firmly believe that your results will be better with us than either pursuing compensation on your own or working with another lawyer. 
  • No win, no fee: We take head-on accident cases on a contingency basis. That means that we only get paid if we win money for you. Your family has enough additional bills related to the accident. They don’t need another one unless we can get money to help cover your losses. 
  • You never pay our expenses: In addition to fees, it’s important to ask lawyers about how they handle their expenses. Some law firms will expect you to pay their expenses, which can be a significant additional bill you weren’t counting on after your lawsuit. Worse: some law firms will expect you to pay expenses even if they don’t win money for you. At Fisher & Talwar, our expenses are always included in our fees. No surprise bills, and you never pay us anything if we don’t win money for you. 

With these benefits, we think everyone in Los Angeles considering a head-on collision lawsuit should take advantage of our free consultation and consider us.

Contact Us for a Free Consultation

A head-on collision can tear your life apart. Whether you lost a loved one or suffered a serious injury yourself, it can be hard to understand your options for getting compensation from the people who caused your accident. That’s why Fisher & Talwar offer free consultations. Call us and get clear answers to all your questions. There’s no obligation, just ask your questions for free, whether you choose to work with us or not. Please contact us today to learn how we can help.

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