Head On Collisions

Head-on car accidents result in some of the most serious injuries and numerous fatalities due to the extensive force applied to the occupants of both vehicles. Essentially, the speed of the two vehicles combined can render even airbags, seat belts and crush zones ineffective and cause horrific injuries. These injuries will often lead to significant surgeries, extensive rehabilitation and a major alteration in lifestyle for both the victim and the families of the victim. Additionally, in cases in which the wrongdoer is underinsured or uninsured, (such a hit and run accident or a driver who has failed to pay current insurance premiums), the head on crash victim is left with potentially devastating medical and hospital expenses, and is likely unable to work, with disability insurance often being the only source of income for a substantial period of time.

If you have been in a head-on car accident, contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to find out whether you qualify for compensation that can help you pay for some of these costs. You can always contact The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, 24/7, to schedule a free consultation that costs you nothing but gets you a detailed case evaluation. Find out whether you have a right to financial recovery to cover your medical bills, car repairs, and more.

What Causes Head-On Crashes?

Road designs and signage is meant to prevent head-on crashes by keeping traffic that is flowing in different directions safely separated. Head-on crashes can still be caused by many factors, including:

• Improper or missing signage on the highway or other roadways.
• Roadway construction causing vehicles to divert out of their lanes
• Poor ramp design.
• Distracted drivers paying more attention to their cell phones, texts, children, or personal grooming than the road in front of them.
• Drivers who are under the influence of alcohol, drugs, a combination thereof.
• Medical emergencies, which can cause drivers to swerve into oncoming lanes.
• Mechanical failure that causes drivers to lose control of their vehicles.
• Multi-vehicle collisions, which can block traffic and cause secondary crashes as vehicles are pushed into oncoming lanes.

In general, if you are in a head-on collision, it’s advisable to consult with an attorney. Negligence is often a factor in these crashes, so contact The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel for a free consultation to determine whether you have a right to pursue financial recovery.

The Devastating Impact of Head-On Collisions

Studies by organizations such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have shown that although head on accidents are approximately 2% of the overall collisions on U.S. roadways annually, they account for 10% of fatalities.

Head-on crashes put you at a greater risk of devastating and potentially fatal injuries because these collisions often happen at higher speeds and involve sudden, direct impact. When this happens, there is a sudden change in motion, caused by the impact, and this is extremely dangerous to the human body. To put it simply, in a head-on crash, the oncoming car stops your car very suddenly, but parts of your body continue to move at high speed. Your brain, for example, can continue its forward motion inside your head, crashing against the skull and causing devastating brain trauma. The sudden stop in motion can also slam you against your seat, airbag, or dashboard, putting you at risk of broken bones, spinal trauma, and other devastating injuries.

These serious injuries can require extended hospital stays, surgeries, and ongoing rehabilitation. Even with excellent car accident and health insurance, that will likely result in significant out-of-pocket costs. Serious injuries can leave you unable to work, affecting your earnings potential. Permanent disabilities from a head-on collision can even permanently affect your career and ability to provide for yourself. In addition to these major costs, the high impact of the collision will mean your car and any personal property inside the car may be significantly damaged, requiring repair or replacement.

It’s also hard to overstate the impact on your quality of life. A serious head-on car accident can lead to significant pain. It can affect your mental health, leading to depression, sleep disorders, relationship issues, and even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some people who have been in this type of serious crash have a hard time driving afterwards, experiencing fear and anxiety every time they try to get behind the wheel. Even years later, individuals who have been in a serious head-on collision may still be feeling the effects and may still be dealing with limited mobility, chronic pain, and other effects of the crash.

The State of New York allows for some legal remedies that are designed to make you “whole” after an accident that was caused by someone’s negligence. While no amount of money can change a permanent injury or can remove the pain of losing a loved one, it’s essential to pursue financial recovery if you are eligible because fair compensation can help you pay for car repairs, bills, medical treatments, rehabilitation, therapy, medication, at-home care, and other essential services. Recovering when you have the ability to pay for these services can make it easier for you to rebuild. If you have lost a loved one in a traffic accident, for example, compensation can help with income support, funeral and burial costs, and more.

In the moments after a devastating accident, the last thing on your mind may be the logistics of filing a lawsuit. The reality is that acting quickly to protect your right to sue is essential to protecting your future. At The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, we take the burden off your shoulders. We can come visit you in your hospital room or home if you’re too injured to travel to our offices for a free consultation, and in a free case consultation we can answer your questions and explain your legal options. If you decide to work with us, we focus on building your case, taking care of filing your claim, and negotiations, so you are free to focus on your health.

What Happens in a Head-On Collision Claim?

After a head-on accident, your initial focus is to get emergency medical help for yourself or anyone else at the scene who is injured. As soon as you can after the collision, however, you will want to contact a personal injury attorney. You will also need to report the accident to your insurance company and usually the police, especially in case of a serious accident.

When you contact The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, we offer a free consultation to help you understand your options. We will explain what you can expect from working us.

Immediately upon retention by our clients, we conduct a complete investigation of the accident. This includes obtaining statements from any witnesses to the accident or the aftermath, which might lead to admissions of fault by the negligent driver. We secure all photographs of the scene of the accident, and when the client has come to our office soon after the occurrence, sometimes this can result in securing of accident related debris from the vehicles involved or photographs of tire marks depicting the paths of the two vehicles and skid marks. We obtain the police report and the MV-104 of the other driver, which is a report that must be filed with the DMV in Albany whenever a personal injury accident has occurred. If the other driver was cited by the police for a violation of the Vehicle & Traffic Law, including using a cell phone, speeding or following too closely, we keep in contact with the local Court to obtain a certificate of disposition as to the traffic infraction, which can be useful in establishing legal responsibility for the accident against the other driver.

Our team files a claim for you, abiding by any deadlines, and we negotiate with the defendants, seeking a fair settlement. If no settlement can be reached, we are willing to take strong cases to trial, to give you the best chance of securing fair financial recovery.

Contact The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel If You’re Injured

At The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel, we have represented numerous clients in White Plains, Westchester County, the Bronx, and beyond, since 1986. We have represented individuals who have suffered severe injuries in a variety of auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, construction accidents or as the result of medical errors. Our experienced litigators have the necessary knowledge and background to prepare our clients’ cases to maximize their compensation for pain and suffering, lost earnings and earnings potential, past and future medical and hospital expenses, an inability to perform activities of daily living, and loss of enjoyment of life.

For a free consultation to discuss your case in detail and how our firm can provide legal assistance, contact us anytime at (914) 428-7386 or online.