Philadelphia Head-On Collision Lawyer

Head-on collisions often lead to serious injuries for those involved. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a head-on collision caused by the actions of another person, you should be compensated for your damages. At the Ciccarelli Law Offices, our Philadelphia injury lawyers are ready to help you get through this.

Why Choose A Head-On Collision Attorney From Ciccarelli Law Offices?

If you or a loved one are suffering from a serious injury due to a head-on collision, seek assistance from an attorney with the experience necessary to secure maximum compensation. The Ciccarelli Law Offices are here to help.

• Founder Lee Ciccarelli takes on the toughest cases and fights for his clients in order to ensure they are taken care of after a serious injury.
• The Ciccarelli Law Offices team has decades of combined experience in personal injury law that will provide invaluable resources for your case.
• All personal injury law cases are taken on a contingency fee basis, meaning you will face no legal fees until a favorable settlement or verdict is secured on your behalf.

Causes of Head-On Collisions In Philadelphia

Head-on collisions are often devastating. These types of incidents can occur at higher speeds, particularly when they happen on major roadways in and around Philadelphia. There are various causes of head-on collisions, many of which mimic causes for any other type of vehicle accident that occurs throughout the city. When we examine information from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, we can see that some of the most common causes of collisions overall include:

• Speeding
• Improper turning
• Distracted driving
• Proceeding without clearance
• Impaired driving
• Careless or illegal passing
• Tailgating
• Fatigued driving

When a head-on collision occurs, we usually see these types of incidents happen either at an intersection or in areas where a driver ends up on the wrong side of the road and moving toward oncoming traffic.

Intersections can be confusing areas, so it is somewhat understandable if a driver yields inappropriately or fails to understand the proper flow of traffic, leading to a head-on collision. Sometimes, individuals fail to stop at a stop sign or stop light, leading to an unfortunate head-on collision.

When drivers turn down the wrong way on a roadway, this can occur due to a variety of factors, but usually, because the driver is distracted, impaired, or fatigued.

Head-On Accident Statistics

When we examine information provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, we can see that there were 4,577 total head-on collisions reported during the most recent year of data available. This accounted for approximately 4% of all crashes on Pennsylvania roadways that year. The data further breaks down these head-on collisions based on a few separate age ranges. Specifically, the DOT says that head-on collisions were responsible for 4.3% of all collisions for drivers aged 16 through 21, 5% of all collisions for drivers aged 65 to 74, and 4.9% of all collisions for drivers 75 and older.

Data provided by the Insurance Information Institute gives us an idea of how deadly head-on collisions can be. In 2020, there were more than 3,600 total fatal crashes defined as the “first harmful event” of the incident. This accounted for 10.2% of all fatal collisions across the country that year. We do not currently have more up-to-date data related to head-on collisions, and data from the year 2020 tends to be slightly skewed due to the initial COVID-19 lockdowns and how that affected traffic.

Injuries After Head-On Collision In Philadelphia

In order to illustrate how severe head-on collisions can be, we can turn to the latest reporting year of data from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which show an astounding number of crashes.

These incidents often occur with one or more vehicles traveling at high rates of speed, which compounds the damage in the crash. In many cases, head-on collisions happen when one driver is driving the wrong way on the road. It is not uncommon for the team at the Ciccarelli Law Offices to help clients who have sustained the following injuries in a head-on crash:

• Spinal cord injuries
• Brain injuries
• Fractured bones 
• Amputations
• Dismemberment or amputation
• Significant disfigurement

Each of these injuries requires immediate medical care. In many cases, head-on accident victims need surgery or long-term rehabilitation in order to recover. Victims are often unable to work while they recover, further worsening an already financially tenuous situation.

Damages and Compensation After An Accident

There are various types of damages that a head-on collision victim could be entitled to. The amount of compensation a victim will receive varies depending on several factors, including how severe the injuries are, the total costs of medical expenses, whether a victim cannot work while they recover, and more.

At the Ciccarelli Law Offices, our Philadelphia car accident attorneys strive to ensure our clients receive maximum compensation, which can include:

• All medical expenses related to the incident
• Any income you lost if they could not work
• The costs of any long-term care or rehabilitation
• Pain and suffering damages
• Loss of personal enjoyment damages
• Possible punitive damages against the negligent party

If there was a loss of life during a head-on collision, please speak to our Philadelphia wrongful death lawyers today.

Establishing Fault In A Head-On Collision

Determining fault after a head-on collision in Philadelphia can be challenging, but there must be a complete investigation into these incidents to ensure that the appropriate party is held responsible and other parties recover the compensation they are entitled to.

Just like any other collision, establishing fault involves ensuring law enforcement officials come to the scene to conduct an investigation. Often, those at the scene of the collision are able to use their resources to take photographs of the surrounding area, including causes of the crash, injuries, property damage, and more. Sometimes, there are surveillance cameras nearby that contain footage of the incident, including cameras on nearby homes or businesses or even dash cams.

The names and contact information of any eyewitnesses to a Philadelphia head-on collision will be important. These individuals can give statements not only to law enforcement at the scene but also to insurance carriers, and they can even provide testimony at a personal injury trial if one becomes necessary.

All of this evidence helps determine how an incident happened, thus allowing inferences to be drawn about who caused the incident. It may be necessary to work with an accident reconstruction expert in order to more clearly display liability.

Ultimately, it must be shown that the four elements of negligence were present:

1. Duty. An injury victim must show that the person who allegedly caused their injuries owed them a duty of care. This is not terribly difficult to show in these situations because every driver on the roadway owes a duty of care to everyone else around them. This duty includes operating the vehicle safely and within the confines of Pennsylvania traffic law.
2. Breach. After establishing that there was a duty of care present, the injury victim and their legal team must show that the defendant somehow breached their duty of care. This means showing that they were negligent or careless in some way. A breach of duty leading to a head-on collision often includes distracted driving, impaired driving, operating the vehicle while fatigued, and various other types of traffic law violations.
3. Causation. If it can be shown that there was a breach of duty on the part of the defendant, the next step is showing that this breach led directly to the incident and injuries in question.
4. Damages. Finally, a plaintiff will have to show that they sustained some sort of monetary loss as a result of the head-on collision. These losses can include medical bills, lost income, out-of-pocket expenses arising due to the incident, pain and suffering damages, and more.

What To Do After A Head-On Accident?

After a head-on collision occurs, it is crucial that those involved take the steps necessary to ensure their well-being and maintain the integrity of any potential claim against another party.

1. Seek medical care. Those involved in a head-on collision must seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Even if injuries do not seem severe, a doctor needs to conduct an evaluation. Sometimes the signs and symptoms of various types of injuries do not appear until much later, but seeking prompt medical treatment helps establish a strong link between any potential injuries and the incident.
2. Preserve evidence. Any evidence gathered at the scene of the incident and in the days and weeks that follow must be preserved and handed over to the plaintiff’s legal team. This evidence can include photographs of the incident, video surveillance footage, contact information for eyewitnesses, damaged vehicles, proof of medical treatment, property damage estimates, and more.
3. Call a lawyer. A Philadelphia car accident lawyer needs to be involved quickly so that they can assist the injury victim with any insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit that needs to be filed.
4. Report to the insurance carrier. Your insurance carrier needs to know about the incident relatively soon after it occurs. However, you do not need to go into much detail when you initially speak to your insurance carrier. In fact, turning over communication to your attorney is a good idea.

Contact a Philadelphia Head-On Collision Attorney

If you or someone you care about has been injured in a head-on collision that was caused by another person’s negligent actions, seek legal assistance today. At the Ciccarelli Law Offices, we are going to investigate what happened so we can secure the compensation you need. Let our Philadelphia head-on collision lawyers help you today. You can contact us for a free consultation or by calling (215) 228-0100.