Head-on collisions — car accidents where the front end of one vehicle collides
with the front end of another vehicle — can result in catastrophic injuries or even fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), head-on crashes account for just 2% of all accidents, but for 10% of traffic accident fatalities. A majority of head-on collisions are caused by negligence (carelessness) on the part of one or more drivers.
Head-on collisions may occur when a driver fails to stay in his or her lane of traffic. It may also occur, for example, when an impaired or disoriented driver drives on to opposing lanes of traffic (wrong-way driving). Sometimes, these types of devastating crashes happen when drivers fail to yield the right of way at an intersection.
Factors in Head-On Crashes
Here are some of the most common causes of head-on collisions:
Impaired driving: When a person drives while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, their judgment is drastically impaired. An impaired driver may lose control of his or her vehicle. Often, we see impaired drivers drifting into opposing lanes of traffic or driving the wrong way and causing a head-on collision. These types of accidents often result in major injuries.
Distracted driving: One of the most common causes of head-on crashes is driver distraction. With so much technology at our fingertips, it is easy for drivers to lose concentration and focus as they check emails, text or post on social media while driving. Using a cell phone to text or post on social media, for example, can prove deadly because it takes the driver’s hands off the wheel, eyes off the road and attention away from the act of driving.
Fatigued driving: Operating a vehicle while exhausted may result in a head-on collision. We often see this happen with tired truck drivers or bus drivers who are on the road for hours and fall asleep at the wheel. However, it is not a situation that is unique to drivers of commercial vehicles and can occur with drivers of passenger vehicles as well.
Reckless or aggressive driving: This type of driving may include tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic, cutting other drivers off and making unsafe lane changes. A reckless or aggressive driver who pays no heed to the safety of others around them may end up causing a head-on collision.
Speeding: In New York City and across the country, the year of the pandemic has seen a surge in traffic accidents caused by speeding drivers. When drivers operate at an excessive rate of speed, there is the potential for losing control of the vehicle and causing a head-on crash, which may prove catastrophic.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
Injured victims of speeding or reckless drivers can seek compensation from at-fault parties for damages including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities, past and future pain and suffering, etc. Families that have lost loved ones in pedestrian accidents can seek compensation for damages such as lost future income, medical and funeral costs, pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident or pedestrian accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For nearly 50 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and/or medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com