Clearwater Head-On Truck Accidents
Generally, a head-on collision occurs because of a drunk driver, or an individual falling asleep at the wheel. They tend to occur more at night than they do during the day because dark visibility conditions make it more difficult to see traffic lanes, and drivers are more likely to be tired, or under the influence after the sun goes down.
Head-on collisions are always significant, and when a passenger vehicle collides head first into a truck, the damages are incredibly significant due to the size difference in the vehicles. If you have been injured in a head-on collision with a truck driver in the Clearwater area, our truck accident lawyers are prepared to come to your defense while going through the claims process and dealing with insurance companies, as well as other potential parties that may provide difficulties on the path to recovery.
Dangers of Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions are incredibly dangerous. The injuries that people may sustain after being involved in a head-on collision with a truck often depend on how fast the driver is going in the vehicle that created the head-on collision. These injuries can range in severity, but can quickly become catastrophic, impacting the neck, back, and brain, as well as breaking bones and damaging internal tissues and organs.
Seeking Medical Attention
Because of the severity of the injuries frequently sustained in head-on collisions with trucks, it is imperative that anyone who has been injured seeks emergency medical attention. Many brain or spinal cord injuries may not manifest immediately, but their lasting impact can be horrifically life changing, and with immediate treatment, those negative impacts may be partially alleviated. If injuries that have been sustained require ongoing treatment, such as physical therapy, it is critically important that individuals follow their doctor’s orders, to ensure that they are actually physically healing.
Assignment of Fault
Clearwater head-on collisions often occur when one driver is driving on the wrong side of the road, and when law enforcement arrives to examine the scene, the police officers will see what happened and often quickly be able to assign fault. Usually, it is pretty clear that whoever has been driving in the wrong direction is who will be cited for being at fault in the collision, and insurance companies generally take the police officer’s word as legitimate reasoning for the citation due to travelling in the wrong direction into oncoming traffic.
Liability
Contributory negligence plays a role when it comes to seeking damages for injuries sustained in head-on collisions. Negligence in a head-on collision can occur if a driver is speeding, and although they are travelling in the correct direction, their speed is considered as a contributing factor to the severity of the injuries sustained, because the injuries would likely be less severe had the driver been going the speed limit, regardless of if a truck driver was heading toward them going the wrong direction.
Additionally, if a vehicle passenger is not wearing their seatbelt, that can absolutely contribute to the severity of their injuries, even though the other vehicle, in this case, the truck driving on the wrong side of the road, was responsible for creating the accident.
How an Attorney Addresses Head-On Truck Accidents
The first step a personal injury lawyer will try and take is to make sure that their client receives the proper medical treatment, because head-on collision cases often result in severe injuries. Next, an attorney will begin to conduct an investigation to see why the at-fault party was driving on the wrong side of the road, because there may be some amount of potential punitive damages available in order to make an example of the person that was driving in a manner that was outside of the law. This behavior can include impaired driving, falling asleep at the wheel, or simply being grossly negligent to the point of driving on the wrong side of the road.
If you are suffering from injuries sustained in a head-on collision with a truck, contact our injury lawyers today to begin building your case while you focus on your physical recovery.