Under Tennessee law, a head-on car accident usually occurs when one car runs directly into an oncoming vehicle, a head-to-head crash. These accidents can sometimes produce severe injuries that can impact an individual’s life in the long-term.
If you have been injured due to the negligence of another in a head-on collision, it is critical that you consult with a Tennessee head-on collision lawyer as soon as possible. An experienced attorney will be able to help maximize any damages you may be entitled to.
Common Causes Of Head On Collisions
According to the NHTSA, one in 50 car accidents in the U.S. is an opposite-direction accident, also known as a head on collision. They are very dangerous and tend to cause devastating injuries. This is usually because of the force generated in the impact. Common causes of head on collisions, include:
These are just some of the leading causes of opposite direction accidents. In most incidents, negligence is a factor. Calling a Tennessee head on collision accident lawyer is recommended.
The Higgins Firm has been helping victims of head on accidents recover damages for years. Injuries we tend to see in cases include:
These injuries may require months of years of medical treatment and rehabilitation. Calling a head on collision injury lawyer in Tennessee is recommended. Let our firm review your case to get an understanding of what happened and who may be at fault. Our lawyers are ready to stand up against insurance adjusters who may be blaming you for what happened or downplaying the accident. We will fight for your rights and do our best to recover maximum damages.
Factors That Impact Liability
An attorney will always want to look at the comparative fault or comparative negligence issue and determine which driver was most at fault. A lawyer will want to see if there was a driver that was guilty of reckless driving, if they were racing, driving recklessly, or driving way too fast.
A Tennessee head-on collision lawyer will look to see if there was an impaired driver, if they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs that can create a claim for both compensatory damages and punitive damages, and then look to see if the individual had anything in their car or vehicle that may have distracted them, such as being on their cell phone. A Tennessee head-on collision attorney can help an individual determine liability in these circumstances.
Punitive Damages
In head-on collision cases, punitive damages tend to arise more when the driver was doing something illegal. The most common instance would be when a person was driving that way because they were drunk, under the influence of marijuana, or any other type of drug.
There are cases that are not punitive in nature because the person may have had a medical emergency, a heart attack, or another ailment where they had not realized that they were traveling the wrong way. A Tennessee head-on collision lawyer can help an individual make the correct determination.
Benefits of an Attorney
The first thing a person will want to do is collect the evidence immediately. If possible, an individual should get to the accident scene, take pictures, and photograph any scuff marks, skid marks, or gouge marks in the road way to determine where the point of the impact was.
Sometimes, if the car has the capability, a Tennessee head-on collision attorney will get the black box information from the car so they can find out what was going on with the car with regards to speed and turn movements before the accident.
A lawyer will take photographs of the vehicle so they can see where the points of the impact were and hopefully keep those vehicles somewhere in a safe condition, talk to witnesses who may have seen the accident, and see what they believe happened. An attorney will make sure their client gets medical treatment, so they can gather all the medical bills and records needed to speak with the insurance company for a settlement or a jury if the case goes to trial.
A Tennessee head-on collision lawyer will speak to the individual’s health insurance companies to make sure that all the bills have been paid and see if they have a subrogation claim. If they cannot settle the case, an attorney does not think that the insurance company is being fair, then they will go ahead and file a lawsuit for the car accident claim.
The insurance company has a legal team. You should too.
