Head-on car accidents are the single most dangerous type of crash, as indicated by the fatality rate. These accidents unleash a tremendous amount of force on both drivers. A driver would rarely walk away from a head-on crash without suffering some type of injury.
Unfortunately, you may be left with significant impacts from the crash, both physical and financial. The Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm can give you tactical legal advice and represent you from beginning to end, as you seek the financial compensation that you deserve in your case. Contact our Greenville car accident attorneys about your head-on collision case.
Causes of Head-On Car Crashes
It goes without saying that a head-on car accident should never happen.
Almost always, one car is where they should not be on the road. That driver has made a critical error that puts themselves and someone else in danger.
Head-on car accidents can occur either due to carelessness or aggressiveness.
Common causes of head-on car accidents include:
- Distracted driving causing a motorist to miss a sign or veer out of their line
- Inadequate road signage to keep a driver where they should be
- Reckless and aggressive driving
- Drunk driving
- Improper passing putting a driver outside their lane for too wrong
The car that is outside of their lane would usually be the driver to blame for the accident. In many cases, liability is apparent in the accident, and the main legal issue is getting enough compensation.
Injuries from Head-On Car Accidents
When two cars collide head-on, the force moves backward, from the point of the crash through each vehicle. Each driver’s body may lurch forward because of the force.
Serious injuries may be caused by:
- The airbag forcefully and violently deploying
- The driver, or other occupants, being thrown through the window of the car
- The driver’s body striking the dashboard or something else in the car
- Shattered glass impacting the car occupants’ bodies
Given the amount of force that is involved, the risk of serious injury and death increases dramatically. Head-on car accident injuries include:
- Broken bones are fractures
- Lacerations and cuts
- Neck and back injuries
- Internal injuries and organ damage
The most serious risk is that the force of the impact can cause a traumatic brain or spinal cord injury. Then, you may never recover from the injuries. You may lose vital functions or the ability to move. These injuries have significant costs associated with them, and you would need the compensation to help care for you for the rest of your life.
Wrongful Death Lawsuits for Head-On Car Accidents
Under South Carolina law, certain immediate family members can file a wrongful death claim against the responsible driver. A wrongful death lawsuit is the same as any other personal injury case, in that you first need to prove negligence to be in a position to receive a settlement. Here, the personal injury is that your family has lost a loved one.
The following family members may be eligible to get proceeds from a wrongful death lawsuit in South Carolina:
- The surviving spouse
- Children
- Parents (if there is no surviving spouse or children)
If there is both a spouse and children, the spouse will get half of the wrongful death settlement, while the surviving children will divide the other half.
Wrongful death damages include compensation for:
- Lost earnings that the deceased person would have contributed to the family over the course of their lifetime
- The emotional support and guidance that the deceased person provided to the family
- Emotional distress from suddenly and tragically losing a loved one
- Funeral and burial costs
Given the magnitude of what your family has lost, the wrongful death damages can be considerable.
How Your Head-On Car Accident Settlement Is Determined
Like every personal injury case, your head-on car accident settlement depends on how badly you were hurt and how you have suffered. Personal injury compensation is completely individualized, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer for how much you would get in your case.
Everything depends on:
- The extent of your physical injuries and their effect on your life
- How much insurance coverage the responsible driver has
- The size of your own car insurance policy in case the other driver does not have enough coverage
In terms of the actual elements of your damages, you could expect compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Property damages
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Embarrassment and humiliation
Since head-on crashes typically cause more significant injuries, it follows that your compensation would usually be greater.
If a loved one died in a head-on car accident, your family could be paid for your own damages that you have suffered, in addition to compensation for the harm that your loved one endured between the time of the accident and their death.
How an Experienced Attorney Can Help You
Proving that someone was to blame for the accident is a prerequisite for financial compensation. Even though liability may be easier to prove in a head-on car accident case, it is never a given. A plaintiff or their representatives may need to deal with accusations that they did something that contributed to the accident, which would have the effect of reducing your own compensation.
You need an attorney to accurately estimate your damages and to fight for full and fair financial compensation. The insurance company is always going to try to pay you less than you deserve, so you must have someone in your corner.
You will not be taken seriously without an experienced lawyer on your side.
Contact a Greenville Head-On Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one have been hurt in a head-on car accident, you need every dollar that you could get in compensation, both now and in the future.
Our team at Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm are the fighters that you must have when you are facing a difficult situation.
To get us working for you, call us today at (864) 280-7660 or send us a message online. We will never ask you to pay us anything upfront.