New York Head-on Collisions
Head-on collisions are devastating and frequently lethal events. Regrettably, head-on collisions happen often, especially on two-lane roads with no barrier separating the lanes traveling in opposite directions. Additionally, many head-on accidents occur when drivers enter a highway heading the wrong way. This most frequently happens when a person is highly intoxicated. However, head-on collisions can occur due to other outside influences such as the weather or poor lighting. Additionally, distracted driving or fatigued driving can also cause a driver to drift into oncoming traffic and collide with a vehicle headed in the opposite direction.
Understanding the physics behind the forces at play in a head-on crash is a discussion for an advanced physics class. It suffices to say that enormous amounts of pressure from the crash will be applied to the victim’s organs, bones, and sinew at the instant of impact. There are three “hits” when a driver gets into a head-on crash. The first hit is one car hitting another. The second hit is the person hitting parts of the car like a seatbelt, steering wheel, dashboard, windshield, and the like. The third hit takes place inside the body when the brain and other organs smash into the outer shell of the body. Each hit adds pressure to the body due to rapid deceleration.
Two vehicles of roughly the same size colliding at the same speed will create roughly the same impact forces on each occupant. However, if one vehicle is heavier or traveling faster than another car at impact, then the slower or lighter car “loses” in the collision. In other words, the auto that delivers the blow to the other car should have less damage. That does not mean that the occupants will not be hurt. Quite the contrary, they could be critically injured, but they have a better chance of surviving the collision than the person who receives the blow.
The physical forces applied to the body in a head-on crash can cause horrific, long-lasting, or permanent injuries if the person is lucky enough to survive. Injuries commonly experienced in a head-on collision include:
- traumatic brain injuries,
- spinal cord injuries,
- broken legs, and other fractures such as facial fractures, broken spine, fractured hips, broken collarbone, fractured ribs, dental fractures,
- blunt trauma abdominal injuries,
- facial lacerations,
- internal bleeding
- collapsed lungs, and
- muscle injuries, just to name a few.
Additionally, a person could become paralyzed, either temporarily or permanently due to a closed brain injury, spinal compression, or spinal torsion that rips, tears, or stretches the body’s nerves to the point of destruction.
The recovery from any one of these injuries is painful and expensive. The injuries require the victim to be hospitalized, undergo surgery, inpatient rehabilitation, and perhaps even adaptive living at home or residing in a nursing home if the person’s injuries are so severe that the victim’s family cannot care for them. The medical bills mount quickly.
Not only does the injured person suffer, but the injured person’s family suffers too. Caring for someone who has suffered a catastrophic injury can devastate a family emotionally and financially. Having the care of a severely injured loved one thrust into a person’s life is patently unfair, and the burden takes a massive toll on the caregiver who is now responsible for the care and well-being of the injured person.
The victim of a New York head-on collision might be able to recover financial compensation for his or her losses. The victim may receive compensation for medical bills, future medical expenses, lost wages, loss of economic opportunities, compensation for the loss of bodily function as well as pain and suffering. The family of a person killed in a New York head-on crash may be able to receive a payment equal to the value of the person’s life.
Liability for head-on crashes can be easy to determine in some cases, and the damages are clear as well. However, if an insurance company refuses to pay a settlement that fully compensates the victim of the crash, then that is the appropriate time to file a lawsuit. The victim’s lawyer must file a complaint in court to initiate a lawsuit. However, time is limited by New York State laws and accident victims should not delay in speaking with an experienced accident attorney from Parker Waichman LLP.
CONTACT PARKER WAICHMAN LLP FOR A FREE CASE REVIEW
Did you or a loved one sustain harm in a head-on collision? Parker Waichman LLP helps those who have suffered injuries or the loss of a loved one due to another’s negligence receive full monetary compensation. Trust your case with our head-on collision lawsuit lawyers. For a free consultation, contact our law firm today by using our live chat or calling 1-800-YOUR-LAWYER (1-800-968-7529).
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