While any car crash risks severe injury, head-on accidents are some of the most dangerous. A Savannah head-on collision lawyer with Rafi Law Firm is ready to listen to your case and help you understand your options. We can assist with medical arrangements and are dedicated to helping you fully recover from your crash. We work with insurance companies and can even file a lawsuit when you need help from a Savannah personal injury lawyer. Contact us today and learn how we can help you.
What happens in a head-on collision?
A head-on collision involves the front end of a vehicle hitting another vehicle or an object.
Even slow-speed crashes can result in severe injuries to you and damage to your car, truck, or SUV. When someone hits you head-on, powerful forces will affect your body, causing strains, muscle tears, bone breaks, and head injuries.
Understanding the dangers of head-on accidents
Hitting something or being hit head-on puts you and your passengers at a very high risk of being badly injured. You could be forced into the steering wheel or windshield, and your feet suddenly jammed against the pedals or firewall. If you have your seatbelt on, you may suffer bruising or broken bones in your chest.
The airbag is a crucial safety feature, yet you can still experience a broken nose or damage if you wear glasses when it deploys. The airbag is a crucial safety feature, yet you can still experience a broken nose or damage if you wear glasses when it deploys The sudden deceleration can also cause your brain to move back and forth violently inside your skull, leading to traumatic brain injuries. If your vehicle does not have a safe design, you could be crushed between the seat and the steering wheel.
As you can see, head-on collisions are extremely dangerous. The National Safety Council (NCS) reports that these collisions account for nearly 30% of all traffic fatalities. Surviving one means you will face substantial medical costs and may need lifelong care. It takes a skilled personal injury attorney to help you fight for your interests after a head-on collision in Savannah, GA.
Common causes of head-on collisions
Head-on crashes most often result from negligent actions by a driver. They can also arise when the vehicle malfunctions or when a road is designed poorly. Here are some of the most common causes of head-on collisions.
Distracted driving
As smartphones and onboard control systems become more widespread, drivers have more distractions to take their eyes and minds off the road. Georgia has a Hands-Free Law that prohibits drivers from holding their cell phones, texting, or making phone calls. Yet, interesting sights, conversations with passengers, and even the driver’s own thoughts can keep them from paying full attention to the road.
When they look away, they can miss important changes, such as other vehicles unexpectedly turning or entering the roadway.
Unsafe passing
While uncommon in the city of Savannah, rural areas of Georgia frequently have two-lane roads with no median. This means drivers must gauge carefully to overtake and pass a vehicle while avoiding oncoming vehicles. An inexperienced or overly confident driver can make poor choices that result in a head-on crash at high speeds.
Losing control around a curve
Despite signs indicating a reduction in the speed limit for sharp curves, many drivers will continue to travel too fast or even accelerate into the turn. This can cause them to lose control and veer into oncoming vehicles, resulting in a head-on accident.
Drunk driving
It is a well-established fact that drinking and driving puts everyone on the road at risk. Drivers who are drunk are slower to react and may unconsciously swerve across traffic, dividing lines on the road, and even divided medians to hit another vehicle head-on. They often survive these crashes but leave anyone else involved in serious condition or even dead.
Many prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs can also cause impaired driving. If a drug indicates you should not use heavy machinery while taking it, this includes driving a vehicle.
Fatigued driving
A long road trip into the late hours of the night or coming home after an overnight work shift puts individuals at risk of drowsy driving. Being behind the wheel while fatigued is considered almost as risky as driving while intoxicated. Sleepy drivers can cross into oncoming traffic and slam into other vehicles head-on without waking up until it is too late.
Reckless or aggressive driving
Whether on rural roads or the narrow streets of Savannah, a reckless or aggressive driver is very dangerous to others. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists can get hit, but an angry driver may take a chance by illegally cutting around a slower vehicle.
With multiple tours underway every day in Savannah, a reckless motorist may try to get around a trolley or horse-drawn carriage, leading to a head-on crash. On roads outside the city, they may engage in risky behaviors and take chances when passing trucks or other cars.
Road conditions and design issues contributing to head-on collisions
When road construction requires shifting lanes so new pavement can be laid or a bridge can be built, it requires careful planning and layout for the accompanying signs. Without giving clear indications of where traffic should travel, drivers run the risk of accidentally entering the lane with oncoming traffic.
These situations can be much worse at night, even with reflective barrels. Equipment left in the work zones and other objects can overwhelm or confuse drivers, leading to a head-on collision.
Vehicle defects and malfunctions leading to head-on collisions
When a car is poorly designed, manufactured, or repaired, a malfunction in essential control systems can remove control from the driver. A loss of brake fluid or unexpected acceleration can put an individual in the position of trying to avoid a crash. If a tire was not replaced or balanced properly, it could blow out and force the driver into oncoming traffic.
Confused/lost driver
Tourists love to visit our beautiful city but may be confused or distracted while looking at the sights. When they fail to prepare for their trip, they could be surprised by the street layout. For example, they could fail to notice signs and inadvertently head in the wrong direction on a one-way street.
While a lost driver does not mean to cause harm, this does not negate the fact that their actions hurt you when they hit you head-on. Likewise, if improper signage contributed to the accident, you could seek a lawsuit against the government agency responsible for putting the signs up. If they failed to provide adequate direction or there is a history of similar incidents without any effort to fix the issue, your attorney can use this to your advantage.
What sets apart injuries in a head-on collision from those experienced in other types of car accidents?
Being involved in a head-on collision in Savannah, GA, puts you at risk of severe or even catastrophic injuries. Broken bones, such as in the legs and feet, mean you may require weeks or months of physical therapy to walk again. Head trauma can lead to cognitive issues, paralysis, or loss of vision, hearing, or speech. You may suffer nerve damage that causes lifelong numbness or chronic pain.
Requiring this much medical care and treatment means you will be left with incredibly high bills for doctors, specialists, surgery, and rehabilitation. You may end up with a permanent condition that limits your movement or ability to work. If you require a mobility device such as a wheelchair, your home could require renovations so you can continue to live there. Your family will also face the risk of financial instability from struggling to pay expenses while you recover.
When someone has caused you this much pain, injury, and trauma, you must get help from a qualified car accident attorney. They can properly assess the value of your claim, including projected medical costs, and build the robust case needed to hold the liable parties responsible. You should not have to suffer the consequences of negligent actions by someone else.
Emotional trauma associated with head-on collisions
In addition to all the physical changes you experience from your injuries, there is a high cost to be paid in terms of your emotional and psychological suffering. Victims of head-on car crashes often suffer severe scarring or disfigurement to their faces, causing them to isolate themselves from friends and family. They may also be forced to abandon hobbies or vocations they once enjoyed if they become physically unable to participate anymore.
Many individuals develop anxiety or fall into depression. They may be diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and be unable to drive again. They may need extended mental health treatment to be able to return to work and society when their bodies have healed. Costs for all this care can quickly snowball into millions of dollars when accounting for the years of treatment you could require.
All these non-economic losses must be included in your attorney’s damage calculations. It is not enough for the at-fault party to compensate you for only your medical bills and property damage. They must make you whole (to return you, as closely as possible, to the state you were in before their careless actions caused you harm). A tenacious and knowledgable head-on collision attorney from Rafi Law Firm in Savannah, GA, will work to secure every dollar you deserve.
Our Savannah head-on collision lawyers are ready to help
After a severe head-on collision, you need time to heal and get back to your life. You may need extensive surgery and face a long road to full recovery.
Sometimes, you may never return to your full health, needing assistance to care for yourself and support your family. In the worst scenarios, your family will be left alone after your death.
The Savannah head-on collision lawyers at Rafi Law Firm are ready to help you by evaluating your case for free. We will explain your options and advise you on proceeding with your case. If a head-on driver killed you or a loved one, we can help you file a wrongful death lawsuit against those responsible.
Do not delay taking action because the Georgia statute of limitations gives you just two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you wait too long, you could lose the chance to seek compensation forever. Contact us to schedule a free consultation by calling (912) 461-6798 or using our online form today.
