The words, “head-on collision” strike fear into the hearts of motorists for a reason. Drivers and front-seat passengers are especially at risk for severe or catastrophic injuries in a head-on collision. These dangerous accidents make up 29.6% of two-car collisions and caused 5,800 deaths in a single recent year. Head-on collisions are accidents in which the front ends of two vehicles collide. When two cars collide head-on, it doubles the crash force, dramatically increasing the chances of catastrophic injuries or fatalities.
How Head-on Collisions Happen in South Carolina
Head-on collisions are terrifying accidents that most commonly occur when one driver leaves their lane into an oncoming lane, causing a full-frontal collision between two vehicles. Although the engine and front-end structures of cars and trucks help to absorb some of the impact, front-seat passengers face the risk of serious injuries or death due to the doubled crash force. Common causes of head-on collisions in South Carolina or elsewhere include the following:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding around curves
- Unsafe passing
- Entering a one-way street in the wrong direction
- Entering a divided highway in the wrong direction
- Drunk driving
- Fatigued driving
- Swerving to avoid a road hazard or animal on the road
- Icy or slippery road conditions
- Defective steering systems
In most cases, the driver who departs from their lane or enters a roadway in the wrong direction is liable for the damages to injury victims. Less commonly, the manufacturer of a defective part or a city maintenance crew that caused an unsafe road condition could bear liability.
Injuries In Head-on Collisions Can Be Severe
When a vehicle comes to an abrupt halt while traveling, motorists inside the vehicle continue moving at that speed until they are snapped back by their seatbelt or—if unrestrained—when they hit the dash or windshield. The crash force of an accident doubles when two moving vehicles hit head-on. Hitting a wall at 60 miles per hour causes tremendous force, but a head-on collision with another vehicle also traveling at 60 miles per hour has a force equal to hitting a brick wall at 120 miles per hour.
Common injuries in head-on collisions include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Facial and dental trauma
- Thoracic injuries
- Fractures
- Internal organ damage
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Spinal cord damage
Injuries in head-on collisions can cause long-term disability or fatalities. When someone else’s driving error or recklessness causes a wrongful death, close family members can make a claim for compensation through a head-on car accident wrongful death claim.
Recovering Compensation for Damages in Head-on Car Accidents in South Carolina
Making a successful claim for compensation for South Carolina car accidents requires providing compelling evidence of the at-fault party’s liability. Common damages recovered in head-on collision cases include the following:
- Property damage
- Medical expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Lost income
- Future income loss/diminished future earnings
- Compensation for pain and suffering and other non-economic damages that might apply like disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, or the loss of one of the senses.
- Wrongful death compensation
South Carolina has a modified comparison negligence insurance system, making a thorough investigation necessary to recover the maximum in compensation.
How Can a South Carolina Car Accident Lawyer Help?
Insurance companies assign an adjuster to every case whose job is to find ways to minimize the amount they must pay out on a claim, often by assigning an unfair percentage of fault to injury victims. Call Marc Brown Law Firm to hire Columbia vehicle accident attorney to investigate on your behalf to document compelling evidence for your full compensation.