Car Accidents: Head On Collisions

While all car accidents can be catastrophic or fatal, head on collisions are particularly worrisome for drivers. Head on collisions claimed nearly 4,000 lives in 2012, according to the United States Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Even the most cautious drivers have to be concerned about head on collisions, since they happen quickly and in situations where there is no time or road space to avoid the accident. These types of accidents can happen on sharp curves, on roads where there are no medians, or when a vehicle tries to overtake another in a “no passing zone.”

Head on Accidents in Florida

Sadly, these accidents happen with moderate regularity in Florida. There have been three reports of head on collisions in South Florida, just in the past couple weeks.

Particularly tragic is the story of a 27-year-old elementary school teacher. A vehicle that crossed a center line hit and killed the young woman on October 26, 2014. This accident demonstrates that it is not always pure negligence that causes these types of accidents. Something as simple as getting distracted for a moment to read a text could cause anyone to veer over the center line on a busy thoroughfare. On the other hand, some accidents involve people simply not acting carefully. One such accident last week involved a vehicle driving on the wrong side of Interstate 10. Fortunately, no one has died from their injuries, though one individual suffered serious harm from the accident.

Another accident in Putnam County claimed a life when one vehicle crossed the center line and hit another vehicle head on. One of the vehicles flipped and caught on fire from the impact. While medians did not seem to be present in any of these scenarios, a median does not prevent head on collisions from happening. At the beginning of the month, a 53-year-old driver crossed over three lanes and a median before hitting and severely injuring a couple driving the opposite direction.

One thing all of these crashes have in common is that alcohol did not appear to be a factor. Often, alcohol is a factor in head on collisions. This is especially true when there are instances in which people are driving on the wrong side of the road, or enter a freeway onramp heading in the wrong direction. Even without alcohol involved, it is still possible that negligence was a factor. When people are distracted, inattentive, or not following traffic signals, signs, and warnings, they may be held responsible for causing such accidents.

Miami Car Accident Attorneys

If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a head on collision or any other type of auto accident, you may be entitled to recover compensation for your injuries. When a driver is found responsible for causing an accident that inflicted injury or death to another, that person may be required to compensate you for medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of income, or burial expenses in the event of death. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding your accident, our experienced Miami car accident attorneys at Alan Goldfarb P.C. can help you navigate a legal claim so you can recover the compensation that you are entitled to by law. Feel free to contact us today to learn more about your legal rights and options.