How to Protect Yourself Financially After a Head-on Collision

One of the most dangerous types of vehicle wrecks, head-on accidents may see victims striking the dashboard or even ejected entirely through the windshield. To pursue the compensation you deserve after a head-on crash, you need to thoroughly document your injuries and work with an attorney to find the liable party.

How Head-on Collisions Occur in New Orleans Traffic

Head-on crashes typically occur when a driver drifts across the median for some reason and eventually collides with another vehicle driving in the opposite direction. While this type of crash is frequently caused directly by human error, there are other possible reasons. Common issues that can result in a head-on car or truck accident in Louisiana include:

• Aggressive driving and instances of dangerous road rage
• Driving the wrong way on one-way streets
• Diving under the influence of illicit drugs, or even legal drugs prescribed by a doctor that impair driving ability
• Failing to leave enough room while trying to pass on a highway or rural roads
• Faulty, damaged, or overly worn vehicle parts, such as tires or power steering components
• Inclement weather, which may combine with reckless driving behaviors to result in a head-on collision
• Intoxicated driving
• Overcorrecting when drifting to the right on the highway
• Speeding, particularly in areas with tight curves or limited visibility
• Swerving to avoid debris or other obstacles on the road
• Tired driving, which may cause the driver to drift without realizing it or even briefly fall asleep at the wheel

Understanding why the head-on collision occurred is important to the financial side of your recovery. In cases of clear negligence, you have a legal right to recover damages from the liable party. That may be the at-fault driver, but other parties may be better sources of compensation.

For instance, the liable party could be an employer who failed to train drivers or repair company vehicles in need of a fix-up, an establishment who overserved someone alcohol before driving, or even the manufacturer of a faulty part.

Protecting Your Legal Rights After Suffering an Injury in a Head-on Collision

Discovering the root cause of your accident and who is liable for your damages is critical to the financial side of your recovery. Injuries tend to be more severe in head-on collisions than in other accident types. Both the driver and passengers are particularly susceptible to catastrophic, life-changing injuries if the crash takes place at high speed.

Bone fractures, soft tissue damage, spinal cord trauma, traumatic brain injuries, whiplash, and even death are all possible consequences of a head-on collision. Obviously, those kinds of wounds can result in devastating medical bills at a time when you can’t return to work because you are dealing with the injury.

That’s why you need to speak with an attorney after addressing your medical needs with a healthcare professional. A lawyer can assist in filing a personal injury lawsuit against the liable party to recover compensation for:

• Healthcare costs associated with treatment for the injury, from your hospital stay to physical or occupational therapy after the accident.
• Lost wages while recovering from the head-on collision. In some cases, compensation may also cover lost earning potential if the injury interferes with your ability to work in the future.
• Non-economic damages covering issues like physical pain, emotional suffering, and reduction in overall quality of life.
• Out-of-pocket expenses while seeking medical treatment for survivors or organizing funeral expenses for passengers or drivers who passed away in the wreck
• Wrongful death if someone in the vehicle died from their injuries. This can cover medical bills while your loved one was still alive after the accident, funeral costs, and potentially lost wages if that person provided for you financially.

Consult a Trial-Ready Louisiana Car Accident Attorney Today

Talk with our dedicated and trial-savvy team about your head-on collision before accepting any settlement from insurance. We want to find out if the Scott Vicknair Law Firm is the right fit to represent you in a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver. Call our New Orleans office at 504-500-1111 or get in touch online to schedule a consultation.