Head-on car accidents are often severe. They may cause serious injuries and even death. Our head-on collision injuries attorneys in Minnesota often work with clients who have been injured in a collision and are experiencing a traumatic brain injury, broken bones, severed limbs, or paralysis. Here are some of the most common ways these head-on collisions occur.
Drunk Drivers
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.
Left Turns At Intersections
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 cars collide early enough in their turns, a head-on collision is a strong possibility. A driver who is 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.
At Stop Signs
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.
We all want to know how to avoid a head-on collision, but we can only do so much to keep ourselves safe. That’s why it’s so important to remain vigilant when you find yourself in the situations we’ve discussed. If you do find yourself injured in a car accident, contact our head-on collision attorneys to discuss next steps. We can be reached at (651) 994-6744.