A head-on collision is the crash type that most often changes a life rather than a week. Two vehicles moving toward each other combine their speeds at the moment of impact, and the people inside absorb the result.
The Law Offices of David W. Holub handle head-on collision claims in Merrillville and across Northwest Indiana. Consultations are free. Call (219) 736-9700 to talk about what happened.
Why Head-On Crashes Are Different
In most collisions the two vehicles are travelling broadly the same direction, and the difference between their speeds is what the people inside have to absorb. In a head-on crash they are travelling toward each other, so the speeds add rather than subtract.
That shows up in the injuries. Head-on crashes are associated with chest and abdominal trauma from the belt and the wheel, lower leg and ankle injuries from the footwell collapsing back, facial and head injuries, and spinal injuries. Airbags change the picture but do not remove it.
It also shows up in what happens afterward. A head-on case is more likely to involve a long hospital stay, a period of rehabilitation, time away from work measured in months, and in the worst cases a wrongful death claim.
How Head-On Crashes Happen
Most head-on collisions trace back to a vehicle leaving its own side of the road. The common paths to that are:
Crossing the center line. Two-lane roads without a physical divider carry most of these. Northwest Indiana has a great deal of that kind of road once you leave the interstate corridors.
Wrong-way entry. A driver enters a divided highway or a ramp against traffic. These tend to happen at night and tend to involve high speeds.
Passing. A driver pulls out to pass on a two-lane road and misjudges the gap or the speed of the oncoming vehicle.
Drifting. A driver who is distracted, texting, fatigued or impaired drifts across the line.
Losing control. Weather, a blown tire, standing water or ice sends a vehicle into the opposite lane. Where a road defect contributed, that is part of the investigation too.
What Our Office Looks At
Fault in a head-on crash often looks obvious and sometimes is not. The driver who ended up on the wrong side may have been pushed there, may have been avoiding something, or may have had a vehicle failure. Insurance companies know this and will raise it.
Our office works from physical evidence rather than from the account of whoever was able to talk at the scene. Final rest positions. Tire and gouge marks. Crush patterns on both vehicles. Event data from the vehicles themselves where it exists. Camera footage from nearby businesses, which tends to be overwritten quickly, so we go after it early. Where the mechanics are contested, we work with collision reconstruction specialists.
On the injury side, we build the medical record as a record of consequences rather than a stack of bills, including what the treating physicians expect going forward.
Related reading: collecting evidence, shared fault, and recoverable damages.
When the Other Driver Has No Insurance, or Not Enough
Head-on crashes regularly produce losses larger than the at-fault driver’s policy. Where that happens, coverage on your own side can become part of the claim. That is its own subject, covered on our uninsured and underinsured page.
Cost
Head-on collision matters are handled on a contingency basis. There is no fee for the first conversation, and our fee comes out of a recovery rather than out of pocket. The written agreement sets out the terms and our office goes through it with you first.
Talk With Our Office
If you or someone in your family was hurt in a head-on crash, a first call covers what happened, the injuries, who has been in touch, and what the realistic options are.
Call our Merrillville office at (219) 736-9700 or use our contact page.
This page is general information about our services and is not legal advice. Every situation is different. Contact our office to discuss yours.