When vehicles traveling toward each other collide, the result is a front-end accident. These crashes can be deadly, and survivors often suffer significant injuries.
If you were hurt in a front-end car accident in Blair County, a skilled auto collision attorney could help you pursue compensation. Preserve your rights and give yourself the best chance of obtaining a reasonable settlement by retaining an experienced legal professional as soon as possible after a wreck.
Front-end crashes in Blair County often happen when a driver loses control of a vehicle and crosses the center line, or goes airborne and crashes into oncoming traffic. They sometimes occur when a driver tries to pass on a two-lane road and cannot avoid oncoming traffic. This type of crash often occurs on highways and at high speeds, which is one of the reasons they can be so fatal.
The U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that in a recent year, more than half the people who lost their lives in car accidents were involved in head-on crashes. The impact of two moving vehicles colliding could propel occupants through the windshield. Even if a person remains in the vehicle, his or her body will make violent contact with the windshield, dashboard, or front seats. Survivors of front-end crashes could suffer severe, disabling, and permanent damage, including:
Any of these injuries could be catastrophic and forever alter the life of the victim. When someone else’s negligence caused the tragedy, he or she should be held liable for the injured person’s losses.
In the Commonwealth, every driver must have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) to cover medical expenses in case of an accident. Though, treating the severe injuries that front-end collisions cause could exceed an injured person’s PIP benefits. Therefore, an injured person could pursue the at-fault driver for the remaining balance of his or her medical expenses and other injury-related losses.
A driver’s liability insurance determines her rights after an accident. If she has limited tort coverage, she may not have access to the courts in many cases. However, someone with limited tort coverage can sue an at-fault driver if an exception applies. The law allows people who suffer severe injuries to sue. A severe injury could be life-threatening, cause impairment of a body function or system, or cause permanent disfigurement.
A survivor of a head-on collision often has injuries severe enough to allow them to pursue damages in court, even if they have limited tort coverage. A seasoned attorney in Blair County could advise an injured person on the best way to achieve a settlement that provides adequate compensation for his or her injuries following a front-end automobile wreck.
In some car accidents, the fault is shared amongst multiple parties. The state’s comparative negligence statute, 42 P.S. §7102, allows an injured person who bears partial responsibility to collect damages from other negligent parties as long as he or she was not primarily to blame.
If an injury lawsuit goes to trial, once all parties have presented his or her evidence, the judge will ask the jury to allocate responsibility between them. If the jury finds the injured person partially responsible, he or she is not entitled to collect full damages. Instead, the judge will deduct a percentage equal to the injured person’s degree of fault from the damages the jury awards.
Most accident cases settle before a trial, but the notion of comparative negligence impacts the settlement negotiations. A diligent attorney could find and present evidence showing that the injured person had less responsibility for an accident than other parties.
If you survived a front-end car accident in Blair County, you might have suffered life-altering injuries. The party who caused the wreck has a legal obligation to pay you appropriate compensation.
A comprehensive financial settlement could make moving on with your life easier, and an experienced attorney could help you get it. Call Marcus & Mack today to schedule a case review.
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