Head-on Truck Accident in DC
A head-on truck accident in DC is by far the most dangerous vehicle accident in the District. A truck accident by itself is life-threatening. The damages are typically severe, whether a wide-turn accident, a rear-end accident, or some other common cause besides a head-on collision. This is due to the size and weight difference between a semi-truck and a car. The weight difference causes a significant force to be exerted on the smaller car. Thus, even without a head-on collision, a truck accident can lead to broken bones, substantial property damage, and other ailments. However, head-on collisions do occur in an urban environment like the one in downtown Washington, D.C. When they occur, the injuries victims suffer and the traffic caused by the wreckage can be brutal.
Here, we will unpack what makes a head-on truck accident in DC so devastating. We will examine the common causes of head-on collisions to understand better how to avoid these fatal accidents. We will discuss what constitutes a head-on truck accident and how to determine liability. While analyzing the liability of such an accident, it is also essential to note the legal and insurance considerations unique to truck accidents. Head-on DC truck accidents are among the most dangerous and deadly accidents we handle as injury attorneys. We understand the severity of these cases and aim to ensure you can obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
What Constitutes a Head-On Truck Accident?
Understanding the basic definition of a head-on truck accident in DC is fairly intuitive. Typically, these accidents occur on two-lane roads, highways, or residential streets. The higher the speed, the higher the chance of a head-on collision turning fatal for the smaller car running into the 18-wheeler. In these accidents, a truck and a car rarely collide directly head-on. Usually, one or both vehicles will attempt to turn away at the last moment. Consequently, the front corners of each vehicle will indicate where each vehicle turned off and tell some of the story.
While head-on collisions only make up a tiny minority of vehicle accidents in DC, they do constitute a disproportionately more significant number of the fatal accidents our region sees. This is due to the physics of the impact. Focusing on the driver of the smaller car, when they have a semi-truck barreling towards them at a moderate rate of speed, and the smaller car is traveling in the opposite direction, the smaller car will go from 45 miles per hour in one direction to about 15 miles per hour in the opposite direction. The driver of the smaller car’s body will likely be crushed, and the vehicle will be totaled.
Common Causes of Head-On Collisions
There are countless feasible causes of head-on truck accidents in DC. These causes primarily revolve around driver error. However, we will touch on at least one mechanical failure. Driver error can range from drunk driving to not understanding the road to intentional action intended to injure the plaintiff.
Negligent Passing
Suppose you are on a road with a dotted yellow line. It is legal to pass on these roads when it is safe. However, some drivers mistime this for whatever reason. Either the truck they are attempting to pass speeds up, or they do not see another carhe bend toward coming around t them. A negligent passing that leaves the tortfeasor on the wrong side of the road can lead to a head-on truck accident in DC. Of course, no semi-truck should ever try to pass on a dotted yellow road. They are far too slow. However, truck drivers are human too and attempt this occasionally if they think they have the time, space, and a slow enough driver. Further, remember that whether they are a delivery driver or garbage truck driver, they are on a schedule and may be stressed or incentivized to drive faster.
While this is certainly not an excuse to risk the lives of others on the road, it serves to help you understand that it does happen and to avoid it at all costs.
Impaired Driving
A head-on collision is more likely when a driver negligently floats over the double yellow line into oncoming traffic. One of the simplest ways to lose motor function and the ability to control your truck effectively is to drink and drive. When truckers drink and drive, they forfeit the ability to make intelligent decisions on the road and maintain their vehicle’s operation. Additionally, if you are facing an oncoming vehicle and headed towards an oncoming vehicle, if you are impaired yourself, you will have slower reflexes to avoid the head-on accident.
Distracted Driving
Like impaired driving, distracted driving can lead to a truck driver crossing over the double yellow line and into oncoming traffic. As a truck driver, you have a legal duty to maintain the use and control of your vehicle as would a reasonably prudent person in like circumstances. A jury has never decided that a reasonably careful person would text and drive. Thus, texting and driving, or some other form of distracted driving, is to breach a duty owed to everyone else on the road. When that breach of duty proximately causes damages to others in a head-on truck accident in DC, victims have a case to recover for compensation.
Distracted driving marks the third listed example of human error leading to a head-on truck collision.
Brake Failure
A brake failure is a mechanical error and thus is distinguishable from the first three common causes listed above. However, the result may still be the same. If a truck cannot brake, it may easily float into another lane on a sharp turn or go through a red light and cause a significant head-on accident. While a brake failure may not seem as obviously negligent as the three human errors, our truck accident attorneys can still prove negligence. Truckers must maintain their trucks on a specific basis required by federal regulations. A deviation from this standard can constitute negligence. If we file suit on your case and go to trial, we may need an expert witness to establish that there was a need to check the potency of the brakes and that there must have been a failure by the driver.
Legal and Insurance Considerations
Determining fault in a head-on truck accident in DC often depends on where the initial point of collision occurred. For example, suppose the initial collision point is on the right side of the road when facing northbound, and the damage is more to the front, driver-side portion of your vehicle. In that case, we may be able to prove liability by the property damage alone. On the other hand, if the property damage is unclear and the defendant denies liability and has a different version of events, we may rely on eyewitness testimony to establish liability. Insurance companies give some weight to what their clients tell them, even if it is obvious the insured is just looking to avoid increasing their rates. When this happens, we pursue litigation and take the defendant to court.
Call a Truck Accident Lawyer
Our DC truck accident attorneys have been handling head-on truck accidents in DC for 70 years. If you have been in a head-on collision, your injuries may be severe. Get medical attention as necessary and contact our office for a free consultation today. Our phone number is (202) 331-7227.