A head-on collision is a traffic collision where the front ends of two motor vehicles such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, or a combination of them hit each other when travelling in opposite directions, as opposed to a side impact collision, T-bone or rear-end collision.
It’s mind-blowing to think that someone would allow their vehicle to crash into someone head-on. Usually, these accidents happen when drivers are intoxiced, improper lane change into oncoming traffic or a total loss of control. Some of the more common causes of a head-on collision include:
Your Michigan car accident lawyer will work hard to prove the other driver was at fault. Typically, if someone breaks the law hitting you head-on, they will be held responsible.
The impact of the head-on collision can hurt your body in several different ways:
The frontal impact can cause a variety of injuries including your ribs, sternum, and lungs. If the force of the crash damages either the space between your lungs and ribcage, or breaks a rib that can puncture your lung, causing a collapsed lung. The accident can also force your ribcage to cause damage to your lungs.
According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), Head-on collisions make up about 10% of deadly accidents each year. The energy of Head-on crash can cause a lot of damage to your body. Here’s what can happen to your body and how to handle it.
The crash produces significant Kinetic energy which is what an object has while it’s in motion. When you’re driving, you and your car have kinetic energy. When you stop your vehicle using your brakes, the kinetic energy transfers to your brakes.
However, in an accident, the kinetic energy transfers to whatever the car hits. This could be a stationary object or another car. The hit object will either absorb the energy or transfer it back to the car.
Unfortunately, a car cannot absorb all of the kinetic energy during a crash. Your body in the car will absorb some of the energy and suffer serious damage.
After your car collides with the front of another vehicle going in the opposite direction, your body keeps moving forward in the direction of the impact. Then, your body will hit some part of the inside of your car when it crashes. You might hit your seat belt, airbag, or any other part of the car’s interior your body is thrown at.
The impact of the head-on collision can hurt your body in several common but different ways:
If the Airbag deploys, it can save lives during a head-on accident. But the force of an airbag can also cause injuries some serious injuries in adults and children. When your cars airbag deploys in an accident, it’s supposed to keep your head and body from accelerating towards hard surfaces like the windshield, steering wheel, or dashboard. It also starts deflating immediately to absorb much of the energy upon impact.
Some of the Injuries that an airbag can cause include:
During a high-speed head-on crash, the car’s front area is designed to collapse. This is called crumple zone areas of a vehicle that are designed to deform and crumple in a collision to absorb energy.
However, you, front seat passengers and other occupants of the vehicle can still be seriously injured. The passenger compartment collapse can cause broken bones or worse.
Head-on collisions injuries are often serious or life-threatening. If another driver crashed into you, you should get medical attention immediately. You could have injuries that do not readily appear or will worsen with time. Sometimes the flow of adrenaline will mask your injuries.
Other common types of injuries you could suffer during a head-on collision include:
Unfortunately, Head-on collisions can leave you with paralysis or other permanent disabilities because the enormous energy involved. Regardless of whether you were at fault, in Michigan your personal injury protection benefits will pay for medical bills, lost wages, attendant care, household services and more up to the limits of your insurance coverage.
Today’s cars are safer than ever. Manufacturers design cars with safety features meant to absorb as much impact as possible. If you get into an accident, your car should help protect you.
Although cars are safer, they aren’t injury proof. Even in a modern car, the sudden impact of a head-on collision can cause serious or deadly injuries. Your body is just not designed to endure the effects of an accident. Your delicate bodily organs can easily get damaged during a crash.
If you were in a head on crash, you have legal rights you can exercise after a head-on crash. If another driver was at fault, you should not have to pay the price of the mistake. Here are some important steps you may want to take to protect yourself and your family.
Don’t wait to get your injuries examined and treated by a doctor after a head-on collision. Since most head-on crashes are very severe, you’ll probably need emergency medical help in a hospital.
Be sure to keep up with all doctor appointments and treatment advice. If you don’t follow your doctor’s orders, the insurance company could use your failure to reduce your claim.
Create a folder to keep track of all medical records and bills related to your accident. You could have one folder where you save all documents in one place. You should save other receipts, collision damage estimates, photographs of your injuries, videos of your injuries, or other documentation of any damages that you suffered from the accident.
A head-on collision lawyer can help you evaluate and gather all of the helpful evidence after your car accident. Personal injury lawyers know how to calculate your damages so that you know what settlement you deserve. To get a FREE consultation with an experienced head on collision lawyer, call 1-866-HIRE-JOE or contact us online today.
Don’t discount how severe a head-on crash has been for you. Even minor accidents can leave victims with long-term health problems. Serious accident injuries can last or even worsen over a lifetime.
You might have chronic or long-term issues like:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression are common health problems that develop after an accident. You should keep an injury journal, noted or diary of all of the ways the accident has impacted your life. You could be entitled to financial compensation for what you’ve suffered in the accident from the driver at fault’s insurance company.
If the other driver caused your accident, they are liable to answer for your damages with the insurance coverage they had at the time of the crash. You can file an injury claim with their insurance company. You can include the following damages and expenses in your claim.
In a car accident two types of damages can be claimed in a head-on collision. Economic damages include losses like:
You’ll need to prove these damages through receipts, employer verification, tax returns, medical bills, and other documents. You may need a life care plan expert out law firm may hire to prove your future care needs and costs. Your head-on collision lawyer will pay the cost of experts, so you take the necessary steps to prove your damages. You need to properly evaluate all current and future medical treatments that you will need.
Non-economic damages are those damages that change your quality of life. Examples of non-economic damages include:
In Michigan, there is no cap on non-economic damages. Your car accident injury lawyer can help put a rational dollar amount on all these damages and include them in your claims.
If believe a head-on collision caused you injury, don’t wait to get the help you need. Our car accident lawyers can match you with the best attorney for your unique case. We also promise in writing there is no charge unless we win you money.
To get started with a comprehensive FREE consultation, call us at 1-866-HIRE-JOE or contact us online today. We are here to answer all of your questions.
