Williamsport Head-On Collisions Lawyer

HEAD-ON COLLISIONS ARE AMONG THE MOST DEADLY OF VEHICLE CRASHES DUE TO THE INCREASED AMOUNT OF KINETIC ENERGY AND MOMENTUM CREATED WHEN TWO VEHICLES TRAVELING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS SMASH INTO EACH OTHER.

If victims survive, they often suffer catastrophic and devastating injuries such as paralysis, brain trauma, broken bones, and disfigurement, and their lives may never be the same.

According to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), there were 1,566 wrong-way fatal crashes in the United States between 2004 and 2009. Those accidents resulted in 2,139 deaths and thousands of injuries.

If you or a loved one has been injured or someone has died in a head-on collision, you may be entitled to financial compensation to cover your medical, hospital and rehabilitation expenses, current and future lost wages, and property loss, as well as non-economic compensation for loss of life’s pleasures before death, pain and suffering, and disfigurement. However, your case must be handled correctly to prove the other driver was at fault, or you may never collect the compensation you are entitled to.

Clifford A. Rieders of Rieders, Travis, Humphrey, Waters & Dohrmann knows the courts and the system and what you need to do to achieve a good settlement. Our seasoned Pennsylvania head-on collision accident attorneys have helped hundreds of people file successful personal injury lawsuits. With decades of experience and an excellent reputation in the legal community, we are well positioned to handle even the most difficult cases and have successfully represented clients in vehicle crashes of all kinds.

We offer a free consultation to discuss the facts of your individual situation, so contact us at our office or online today.

Causes of Head-On Crashes

Head-on collisions occur most often when one vehicle veers out of the correct lane and winds up facing oncoming traffic. Among the most common causes are:

1. Driving while impaired: Alcohol and drugs often contribute to disorientation and impair a driver’s ability to make judgments and control the vehicle.
2. Distracted driving: Texting, using cell phones or other electronics, fiddling with controls, eating, drinking, talking with another passenger and other distractions take a driver’s attention away from the road.
3. Fatigue: Drivers get drowsy and fall asleep at the wheel.
4. Weather conditions: Bad weather limits visibility or causes slippery conditions that can lead to an accident.
5. Construction, obstacles or debris in road: Drivers swerve to avoid hitting something or get confused while driving around construction zones and wind up in the wrong direction.
6. One-way roads: Drivers get confused or don’t see signs and end up driving facing traffic.
7. Speeding: Speeding causes drivers to lose control and drive into oncoming traffic.

Common Injuries

The force of impact of a head-on crash can result in multiple and serious injuries and disfigurement.  Common injuries include:

• Paralysis from spinal cord injuries
• Head and neck injuries, often from whiplash
• Broken bones, cuts and bruises
• Disfigurement from scars of loss of limbs
• Death

What Does Compensation Cover?

Illinois is a no-fault state, which means you must turn to your own insurance company first for compensation before you can sue another driver. However, drivers have a duty of care to drive responsibly and avoid causing foreseeable harm; if your attorney can show that the negligence or recklessness by another driver caused the head-on collision, you should be entitled to compensation from that driver.

In Pennsylvania, compensated costs and losses fall into two categories: economic damages and non-economic damages.

1. Economic damages – expenses which can be objectively calculated, such as medical, hospital, therapy and rehabilitation costs, costs of equipment such as wheelchairs, lost income, property damage, and funeral and burial costs if a death is involved.
2. Non-economic damages –may include pain and suffering, loss of life’s pleasures before death, and loss of a marital relationship (consortium) for the spouse. This is sometimes called loss of society and services, or loss of consortium.

Achieving Results When it Counts

If you or a loved one is involved in a head-on collision, you should get legal assistance to protect your rights at every stage of your liability claim and ensure that you get the settlement you are entitled to. Since head-on collisions are so damaging and reconstructing the accident may be difficult, your attorney may need to hire a forensic engineer to assess the circumstances of the collision and determine fault.

The skilled and experienced Pennsylvania head-on collisions and personal injury attorney Clifford A. Rieders of Rieders, Travis, Humphrey, Waters & Dohrmann has spent decades honing his skills and successfully representing Pennsylvania families who have suffered an injury or loss due to someone else’s negligence. We offer personal attention and loyalty to every client, aggressively fighting for their right to compensation. Whether in settlement negotiations or pursuing a favorable trial verdict, we are thoroughly prepared and committed to achieving a just outcome. With our competent staff, we offer strength in numbers while providing top-notch personal service.