No one ever leaves home ready to be in a car accident, but that said, the number of vehicles on today’s roads make collisions sometimes unavoidable. An alarming number of these happen to be head-on crashes. Before diving in, let’s take a look at what those are exactly.
When a vehicle crosses the center line on the road, or heads in the wrong way, causing it to collide with another vehicle going the opposite way, the resulting collision is considered to be head-on. These are generally a lot more severe than other types, and also result in fatalities more often. As a driver, it is best if you take all possible precautions against getting in one of these crashes.
What Causes Head-On Collisions?
Head-on collisions are seen to be the result of one or more of the following things.
- Wrong-way driving: This is when a driver enters a street the wrong way, or gets on a highway ramp the wrong way.
- Distracted Driving: This is when a driver accidentally crosses the center line because he or she was looking at a cell phone, turned around to talk to children in the backseat, or bent over trying to retrieve a fallen object.
- Impaired Driving: This is when a driver is operating their vehicle while under the influence of drink or drugs, or under severe fatigue. Impaired drivers too have been known to go the wrong way on highways and relatively narrow roads.
- Aggressive Driving: Speeding around curves, illegal racing, attempting to go around cars or other vehicles driven on one-way roads, etc. which can result in deadly accidents.
- Mechanical Failure: In some rare cases, head-on collisions may be caused by mechanical failures within the vehicle, which can cause the driver to lose control of it.
The Types of Injuries from Head-On Collisions
As you probably surmised, head-on collisions are a more uncommon type of accident, but their results can be very grave as far as those involved are concerned. If a loved one loses their life in one of these incidents inside the state of California, you will want to know how it happened. The common effects sustained in a head-on collision by someone in the vehicle at the time, can include the following.
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord damage
- Brain injuries
- Concussion
- Death
A Wrongful Death Lawsuit over a Head-On Collision
If one of your loved ones loses their life in a head-on collision, chances are you would not at once start thinking about filing a lawsuit. Nevertheless, it bears ensuring that the family of the deceased is cared for properly after their passing, especially if said passing was the result of someone else’s negligence or recklessness. The best way to do this is to get in touch with a competent wrongful death attorney as soon as possible.
You need to know going in that wrongful death lawsuits are often some of the most complex ones to come to court. It is not always easy to determine fault quickly and accurately, which is why it is vital to have the right kind of representation on your side when you go in.
Recovering Damages
Mere compensation cannot balance out the loss of someone you love, but that said, it can help set you on your feet by picking up the weight on some of the expenses. Many types of damages can be won in court following a wrongful death, including the following.
- Out-of-pocket Costs
- Funeral Expenses
- Loss of companionship
- Lost Wages
The situation is bound to be a terrible one for you as a survivor, and the right lawyers would know exactly how to help. A litigator with the right expertise can help you and the court focus on the essentials when it comes to the person you lost. The legal work can be taken care of so that additional frustration and stress are avoided, in a bid to make the already troubling time a bit easier to get through.
Car accidents occur a lot of the time, and sometimes, they can be severe enough to cause the death of someone you hold dear. In order to be able to move forward with some peace of mind, you need to get past the process of winning both compensation and closure. While the second is not something a lawyer can generally help with, they can surely assist in winning the maximum attainable compensation under California law.
The whole thing revolves around making sure that your family does not have to suffer more than they already have. A competent and considerate lawyer can make sure you are well represented in the matters that come up pertaining to a wrongful death suit.