The majority of car accidents in the state of Louisiana are simple crashes with minor injuries. If you ever experience a head-on collision, you will quickly realize this type of crash is among the most dangerous types of accidents.
Significant injuries and fatalities are common after a head-on collision. When you are facing an uncertain future because of a serious crash, look to a New Orleans head-on collision attorney from Morris Bart to protect your right to seek compensation for your medical bills and pain and suffering.
Common Injuries in Head-On Crashes
Head-on accidents often result in significant injuries. The force of two vehicles striking each other while both are moving is dangerous for everyone inside both vehicles. A motor vehicle’s safety features are there to limit injuries for the driver and passengers, but they can only do so much.
The force of a head-on collision is massive. Some of the injuries that often occur in a head-on collision include:
- Head injuries: The victim could suffer a traumatic brain injury, a concussion, or facial trauma.
- Neck injuries: The victim could suffer whiplash or some other significant strain to the neck, which could lead to paralysis.
- Back injuries: The victim may suffer a back strain or a spinal cord injury that could lead to paralysis.
- Internal trauma: The victim could suffer from broken bones, internal organ injuries, torn ligaments, torn muscles, or internal bleeding.
- External trauma: The victim may have significant cuts or the loss of limbs.
Many injuries in a car accident don’t appear until days after the impact. The shock and adrenaline can hide pain and make you think you’re better than you are. We encourage all car accident victims to see a doctor as soon as possible, even if they feel fine.
For a free legal consultation with a Head-On Collisions lawyer serving New Orleans, call (504) 613-4771
What to Do in Fatal Head-On Collisions in New Orleans
With some head-on collisions, the injuries result in fatalities. According to the Insurance Information Institute, head-on collisions were responsible for 10.1% of all fatal crashes in the United States in 2017.
If you have suffered injuries in a serious crash, count on a head-on collision lawyer serving New Orleans, New Orleans East, and the Orleans Parish to negotiate with the insurance company for you, giving you the time you need to heal. If your loved one died in a head-on crash, our head-on collision lawyers can bring a New Orleans wrongful death lawsuit on your behalf.
How a Head-on Collision Happens
When two vehicles are traveling toward each other, it would seem likely that they should be able to avoid hitting each other. One of the two drivers should be able to see the other vehicle. Multiple factors, though, can contribute to a head-on crash where one driver is at fault:
- Driving under the influence: A driver’s judgment and reaction time are impaired by excessive alcohol or drug use.
- Fatigued driving: A driver who is too tired or who has been driving for too long consecutively may make an error in judgment behind the wheel or may fall asleep.
- Distracted driving: A driver has his attention focused on a smartphone or something else inside the car, not noticing the hazard until it is too late.
- Confusion: A driver may misinterpret road signs and begin traveling the wrong way on a one-way road.
- Weather: Fog, heavy rain, or snow can cause a driver to miss an obvious hazard or not see road signs, especially if he or she is going too fast.
If a driver is confused or fatigued, causing a head-on crash, drunk driving could be a contributing factor. Drunk driving contributes to many serious accidents in Louisiana, including head-on collisions. More than 40% of all crashes in the state in 2017 were the result of impaired driving.
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Receiving Compensation for Your Auto Collision Injuries
If you or your loved ones have been involved in a head-on crash, you deserve to be compensated for your injuries, losses, and pain and suffering.
Our New Orleans head-on collision lawyers could help you obtain compensation for a variety of things after the crash, depending on the severity of your injuries and how much your life has changed, including:
- Medical expenses: doctor visits, hospital stays, long-term care facility stays, prescription medication, physical therapy equipment, and other items, both those you have already used and those you may need in the future
- Loss of income: any work you have missed while recuperating, wages you may lose in the future, and any wages you may miss out on because you no longer can work in your preferred field
- Pain and suffering: long-term pain that you may have after your injuries, for disfigurement, for scarring, and for any other intangible damages to which you are entitled, including emotional trauma
- Loss of quality of life: any areas of your life that you no longer are able to enjoy as you once did because of the injuries suffered in the crash
- Loss of consortium: any disabling condition you may have suffered that prevents your loved ones from enjoying the same quality of relationship with you that they enjoyed before the crash
Do Not Delay: Louisiana Has Time Limits for Filing Claims
Under Louisiana law, car accident claim time limits give you only one year from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. This is one of the shortest deadlines in the nation, and there are certain cases where the timeline can be shrunk to just a few weeks.
It never hurts your case to get it started sooner rather than later. After you are examined by a doctor, your next step should be to contact a head-on collision lawyer in New Orleans from Morris Bart to share your story.
What if the Other Driver Is Uninsured?
Many head-on collisions are caused by irresponsible drivers. You may discover that the other driver fled the scene or wasn’t carrying insurance. Even so, there are still ways to get compensation for your injuries.
You might have to make a claim against your own insurance or wait for the police to apprehend a suspect, but there is rarely a case where you’re completely at a loss, so long as you keep up your insurance as required by law.
Our New Orleans Head-On Collision Lawyers Will Work Tirelessly for You
Unfortunately, as New Orleans car accident lawyers, we have seen the devastating effects of serious crashes in Louisiana all too often. The recovery time from a head-on crash can be several weeks or even several months. Some people never fully recover.
You deserve compensation for your pain and suffering, as well as any emotional trauma that you have. You also should be compensated for future wages lost and estimated future medical costs.
At Morris Bart, our team of lawyers is ready to begin working for you as soon as you hire us. We will work tirelessly on your behalf. Contact us as soon as possible for a free consultation.
Questions?Call (504) 613-4771
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
