Head-On Collisions Injury Guide:

Unfortunately, an intoxicated driver will sometimes drive the wrong way down the freeway or a city street. Even a head-on collision that occurs at a relatively slow rate of speed, such as one that occurs on a side street at 30 mph, can be devastating. When a head-on collision occurs, the driver and front passenger will almost always be affected. Whereas a rear-end collision or a T-bone accident may help the driver escape injury, a head-on collision is coming straight at them during the moment of impact.

When a drunk driver is going the wrong way down a freeway, the results are almost always catastrophic. Head-on collisions are often deadly at high speeds. In a cruel twist, we often hear about cases where the drunk driver survives the crash while being responsible for the death of at least one other person – and sometimes many more.

When two vehicles are turning left at an intersection at the same time, it requires a lot of coordination to ensure that they don’t hit each other. When this attention and coordination is lacking, a head-on collision may occur. Depending on the point at which the cars collide, an accident of this type may be more of a sideswipe. However, if the carscollide early enough in their turns, a head-on collision is a strong possibility. A driver whois turning left illegally may also go into the oncoming path of a car that is going straight at the intersection in such a way that it causes a head-on collision or a collision at the front left corner of the vehicle.

Believe it or not, a head-on collision can even occur at a stop sign if one of the vehicles does not execute the stop sign properly. Two cars could be going straight in opposite directions and crash in the middle if one driver is distracted with their phone, the radio, eating, or talking to a passenger. After all, one of the most common causes of collisions is distractions. Even a crash at this low rate of speed can cause injuries like whiplash, concussions, broken ribs, and damage from the seatbelt or airbag. Our clients are often surprised at how slowly they were actually going when they were struck by another driver that caused the accident. If the other driver is reckless and is accelerating quickly, they can still cause damage to you and your vehicle.

Any time you are injured in a car accident, the most pressing concern is your health and safety. Call 911 immediately after a head-on collision and request both police and paramedics come to the scene if you’re injured. If you need to go to a hospital, please get the care you need. Your personal injury attorneys can help collect the information you need after your condition is stabilized. In addition, the police officers who respond to the scene will make an accident report that details everything they saw or people that they spoke with, and they should eventually speak to you to get your recollection of the events. If you do not require immediate medical attention and can stay at the scene until law enforcement arrives, never express any wrongdoing in the accident if it wasn’t your fault. Give the police officers an accurate recollection of the events and be sure to mention any injuries you may have sustained or anywhere you are feeling pain. A police report is very important to have for your personal injury case later on.

Insurance companies don’t make their money by paying out large settlements. The insurance company will want to resolve your case as quickly as possible with a small payout. They may attempt to contact you shortly after the accident to offer a settlement. Do not give any information to the insurance company, and certainly do not accept any settlement they offer without first speaking with a qualified personal injury attorney. Simply state that you will not be speaking to them directly and that you are consulting a head-on car accident attorney to help you with next steps.

Most personal injury cases do end in a settlement, but that settlement can be much more substantial than what the insurance company initially offers. Before you accept a settlement, you should talk to your head-on car crash attorney in Minnesota about your projected long-term costs and consequences of the accident. You don’t only need to consider your current medical bills. You also must consider lifestyle changes that your injuries require, including not being able to work and provide an income to your family in the future. In addition, you can be compensated for your pain and suffering, which is something the insurance companies don’t generally offer compensation for without the assistance of your personal injury attorney.

The most important thing after a head-on collision is that you take care of your own health. Don’t ever refuse medical assistance or worry about how you will pay the bills just because you don’t know how a personal injury case will play out. Most people are not aware of how Minnesota’s no-fault laws work, but rest assured that your Minnesota head-on crash injury attorneys will help you get the compensation that is necessary in order for you to pay for all of your healthcare needs, whether that is from your own insurer or the negligent person’s insurance carrier. Stressing about finances will only make your recovery more difficult and unpleasant, so focus on yourself and your family during this challenging time.