Washington DC Head-On Car Collisions

A head-on collision is an accident where two vehicles collide. The front of each vehicle collides with one another. The most common fact pattern that involves a head-on collision is one vehicle crosses the centerline when there is traffic going two-way opposite direction traffic, and one of the vehicles, the at-fault party, crosses the centerline and hits the injured party or the claimant head-on.

A front-end collision can cause devastating injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, organ damage, as well as spinal and neck damage. The person responsible for the collision can be held liable for damages.

If you or a loved one were injured in a front-end collision, a car accident attorney could help your case. Roger Gelb could help you seek compensation for all of your damages.

Types of Injuries

A head-on crash often causes more significant trauma to the face versus accidents that are rear-ended in nature. When somebody stops and gets hits from behind, they may have neck pain or back pain or both. When a person is hit head-on, the force can be so severe, and their momentum takes them forward as the vehicle is pushed backward.

It causes the driver in particular to hit the steering wheel, the driver in the front seat passenger to lurch forward, potentially hitting the windshield, where the steering wheel in the driver’s case or the airbags are deployed that could cause significant injuries, including burns.

How Is Fault Assigned By Insurance Companies And Traffic Law?

Like in any other case, every motorist has an obligation or duty to control their vehicle to avoid colliding. If one of the vehicles cross the centerline, they are certainly negligent. They have an obligation to stay within their own assigned lane.

There may be a dispute on liability in a case like this, both of them are blaming each other, but what happens more often than not, when it is a head-on collision because one of the vehicles cross the centerline, there is typically witnesses that are very helpful. Also, there is more than one vehicle involved that would be a potential plaintiff or claimant vehicle.

If one of the vehicles is struck head-on, that vehicle may also be rear-ended by a vehicle behind it. The two different vehicles act as witnesses for each other as to who was at fault in the accident.

Following-Up With Doctors Following A Head-On Collision

It is important to follow up and get proper medical care following a collision. Not only do they need to follow up, but they need to follow up in a timely fashion. If there is too long of a delay in treatment, it can affect the value of the claim simply because of a jury or judge or whoever hears the case and there was a gap between when the accident happened and when treatments the started, then that may be factored into the value that’s awarded.

Additionally, if it has been too long of a time before treatment starts, the doctor or the medical provider may have a difficult time stating within a reasonable degree of medical certainty as a standard that the accident caused the injury.

Discuss The First Steps To Take After a DC Head-On Car Collision Today

There are many steps to take after a head-on car crash. After seeking medical treatment, you should reach out to a knowledgeable car collision attorney as soon as possible. A car accident attorney could help you seek compensation for all of your injuries and damages. Call Gelb & Gelb, P.C., to learn about the nuances of a DC head on car collision case.