Head-on collisions often cause critical and life-threatening injuries. These types of injuries could turn your life upside down, making it impossible for you to live normally.
If another party is responsible for causing your injuries, you can take legal action against them and fight for the compensation you deserve. Reach out to a North Charleston car accident attorney at Shelly Leeke Law Firm to explore your legal options for financial relief. Our North Charleston personal injury lawyers are ready to fight for the compensation you deserve.
Common Causes of Head-On Collisions in North Charleston
One of the first steps your head-on collisions lawyer in North Charleston, SC, at Shelly Leeke Law Firm will take is figuring out how your car accident happened. In doing so, we can determine who is at fault for your injuries and damages.
With that in mind, here are some of the top causes of head-on car accidents:
Unsafe Driving and Who to Sue
Unsafe driving practices are some of the most common ways head-on collisions happen. When motorists fail to uphold the obligation to drive safely, they can cause life-threatening injuries by crashing into other vehicles head-on. Some examples of negligent driving could include the following:
- Distracted driving, including visual, cognitive, and manual distractions
- Failure to obey traffic laws, including driving over the speed limit, following too closely, failing to use a turn signal, and making illegal turns
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, including marijuana
- Operating a vehicle while drowsy
- Aggressive or reckless driving, including instances of road rage
When you are in a car accident caused by a negligent driver, that irresponsible driver is accountable when you file a claim with the insurance company or bring your case to court. However, other parties could share the blame as well. For example, if a drunk driver caused a head-on collision, social hosts or dram shops could also be held accountable if they over-served or sold alcohol to someone already impaired.
Defective Vehicle Parts and Who to Sue
Another way head-on collisions can occur is through defective motor vehicle parts. If the braking system malfunctioned, airbag inflators were defective, or vehicle parts failed, the driver who hit you may not be to blame.
The individuals and entities responsible for building and selling the vehicle could share the blame for your damages after a head-on collision. Some of these parties could include:
- Maintenance workers
- Car dealerships and executives
- Motor vehicle parts designers and manufacturers
- Auto parts distributors and suppliers
- Safety inspectors
Dangerous Conditions on the Roads and Who to Sue
Hazardous road conditions could have also caused your head-on collision. Some examples of dangerous roads could include:
- Improperly secured road construction zones
- Missing street signs
- Lack of street lamps for lighting
- Large potholes
- Failure to make road repairs
- Debris in the roadways
Filing a claim for dangerous road conditions could be complicated. This is partly because government agencies are generally responsible for road safety and maintenance. The agencies and entities tasked with the integrity of the roadways in North Charleston could be accountable for your damages after a head-on collision.
Examples of potentially liable parties could include:
- The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT)
- The city of North Charleston
- Other government agencies
- Government officials and executives
- Government safety inspectors
- Government-contracted construction and road workers
- Government contractors, subcontractors, and independent contractors
How to Take Action Against the Liable Party
After your accident, your head-on collisions attorney in North Charleston, SC, at Shelly Leeke Law Firm can help you explore your legal options for financial relief. There are multiple ways you could hold the at-fault party accountable based on the specific details of your case.
Generally, you can file a claim with the insurance company or bring your case to court. Many times, head-on collision victims will file a claim with the insurance company and go to trial to maximize the compensation they win.
South Carolina follows fault-based insurance laws, so you file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company after an accident. If you purchased personal injury protection coverage, you could file a claim with your insurer. However, since insurance limits the compensation you can recover, filing a car accident lawsuit against the liable party may be well-advised.
How a Head-On Collisions Attorney in North Charleston Can Help
Your head-on collisions lawyer can handle every legal detail of your case so you can maximize your restitution and move forward with your life. Instead of dealing with these legalities, you can have your attorney focus on your insurance and civil claims while you recuperate.
Some of our essential tasks and responsibilities will include:
- Figuring out what caused your head-on collision
- Gathering evidence to prove negligence and fault
- Interviewing witnesses and identifying liable parties
- Working with accident reconstructionists and other expert witnesses to build your case
- Determining your insurance claim rights and negotiating with insurance adjusters
- Bringing your head-on collision case to trial if necessary
- Maintaining an open line of communication with injury victims
- Providing prompt case status updates to alleviate accident-related stress and anxiety
Calculating the Value of Your Head-On Collision Claim
It is vital to go over how your life changed due to your accident with your head-on collisions attorney. This way, you can recover every loss and avoid absorbing the liable party’s negligent actions. To calculate the value of your claim, we will need to consider what you could be awarded through your insurance settlement and in court:
Compensation from Insurance Settlements
Insurance settlements are based on how much coverage the defendant purchased. Insurance also covers specific damages. Property damage liability coverage covers vehicular damages, while bodily injury liability damage covers medical bills. The insurance company will cover these two primary types of losses after an accident.
Recoverable Damages in Civil Court
Since insurance only covers medical bills and property damages in most cases, you should prepare to bring your head-on collision case to trial. In court so that you can recover your damages in full. Since South Carolina does not have a limit on the amount of compensation you can win, you can seek total financial recovery for economic and non-economic damages, such as:
- Out-of-pocket healthcare costs
- Future medical bills
- Emotional distress
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Physical pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Diminished earning capacity
- Lost wages and employee benefits
- Loss of household services
Get Help from a North Charleston Head-On Collisions Lawyer Today
Do not let the fallout of your head-on collision prevent you from returning to your life. With access to the compensation you deserve, you can begin to pick up the pieces and rebuild your life.
Learn more about the value of your claim damages when you complete our convenient contact form or call our office to schedule a free consultation with a reputable North Charleston head-on collisions attorney at Shelly Leeke Law Firm.
