Orland Park Head-on Collision Accidents Attorney

If you or a loved one has suffered from a head-on car accident due to someone else’s negligence, Michael J. Brennan, Accident & Injury Lawyer is here to stand up for your rights. My Orland Park car accident team has a successful track record in dealing with at-fault drivers and insurance companies, offering strong representation. Contact us for a free consultation to explore your legal options.

What Should You Do After One of These Accidents?

A head-on collision is among the most traumatic kinds of car accidents you can find yourself in. Still, like any other car accident, there’s a few things you need to do in the aftermath to protect your health and legal options:

• Your safety is your top priority, so try to get to the side of the road. From there, make sure to assess your injuries. Even if you don’t feel injured initially, insurance companies may use a lack of medical care against you.
• Contact the local authorities, such as the police or emergency services. They will create a report with essential information about the accident, and will give you on-site medical attention.
• After taking the above steps, start gathering as much information as you can. Take photos/videos of vehicle damage, injuries, and collect the other driver’s contact details. If uncomfortable, ask the police if they’ll share this information with you.

Following these steps improves your chances of preserving your claim. It makes it harder for the at-fault party or their insurance company to challenge your account of the events–and their liability. Insurance investigations will focus on medical bills, accident reports, witness statements, and damage estimates.

Do You Need a Lawyer?

In the vast majority of head-on collisions, you’re going to need a lot of help. Still, if the collision or your injuries were minor, you probably don’t need to worry about taking legal action. However, if your head-on collision is typical, our team can be a huge help. Here’s how:

• Explaining your legal rights and options, and what’s best for your particular case.
• Helping you collect and present evidence to build a compelling case for your damages.
• Negotiating on your behalf with the other party and advocating strongly for your interests.
• Making sure the process is simplified for you and your family, allowing you to concentrate on your physical recovery.

It’s crucial to understand that in many head-on accidents, you are probably going to sustain multiple injuries. Unfortunately, in some instances, these injuries can be so severe that they result in fatalities. If you find yourself in such a situation, you can rely on our team to guide both you and your family.

What Options Do You Have?

No matter how injured you are from  your accident, your options for making a recovery are generally the same. You can either:

• File an insurance claim
• File a personal injury lawsuit

Which option you pick depends on your needs. If your injuries and damage to your car is relatively minor, you can just file an insurance claim, get a settlement, and move forward. However, a head-on collision is unique in that it often results in much more serious injuries and damage. In those cases, you’ll probably want to start with an insurance claim and then move to a lawsuit.

One way or the other, an insurance company is going to get involved. But which insurance company gets involved is going to depend on who is liable for the accident. You figure that out by determining who acted negligently and caused the accident. This, potentially, could fall on:

• Another driver
• Passengers or pedestrians
• Car or part manufacturers
• Government agencies

Damages

Once you have liability established, you can start thinking about your damages. Every claim is different, but generally, you can recover the following damages in a claim:

• Medical expenses – These damages are designed to cover your medical needs, and include things like surgeries, treatment costs, prescriptions, specialist consultations, medical devices, and can also cover ongoing medical needs.
• Vehicle damage – You can get repair or replacement costs for the damage done to your vehicle.
• Lost income – These damages cover any income you lose from missing work while dealing with your injuries. It can also cover the loss of future earning potential or benefits.
• Pain and suffering – These damages cover the physical pain and mental anguish you go through because of the accident.
• Emotional distress – Along the same lines, these damages cover the emotional and psychological trauma from the accident. This includes things like your treatment costs for things like anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
• Loss of enjoyment of life – This category covers the impact the accident and your injuries have on your quality of life or relationships.
• Permanent disability – Many head-on car accidents result in debilitating injuries that last the rest of your life. These damages are designed to cover your ongoing needs.
• Punitive damages – In some cases, like where the other driver was driving under the influence, you can get punitive damages. These are additional monetary damages that are designed to punish the responsible party.

Even when liability is clear in most cases, the success of your claim after a head-on collision hinges on the evidence and how you present your case. Additionally, there’s a deadline to file a claim, known as the statute of limitations. Currently, you have two years from the date of the accident to file your claim. Missing this deadline means you won’t be able to recover damages.

Why Head-On Collisions Are More Dangerous

There’s no denying that a head-on collision is usually serious. And when you break it down, it’s really not complicated: these accidents happen when the front ends of two vehicles moving in opposite directions collide, often due to a driver crossing a centerline or going the wrong way on a street.

Regardless of the cause, head-on collisions stand out as highly dangerous for several reasons:

• Higher speeds – Two vehicles moving toward each other result in a high relative speed during impact, increasing the collision force.
• Direct front impact – The front ends of both vehicles absorb the impact directly, concentrating force and leading to severe damage.
• Lack of a “crumple zone” – Unlike modern vehicles with designed “crumple zones” to absorb energy during an accident, head-on collisions offer little time for these zones to function, transferring more force to you and passengers.
• Passenger issues – Passengers moving at the same speed as the vehicles may abruptly stop upon impact, causing serious injuries to the head, chest, and internal organs.
• Lack of reaction time – Drivers and passengers have limited time to avoid head-on collisions, reducing the chances of taking evasive action.
• Secondary collisions – After the initial impact, vehicles may spin or collide with other objects, increasing the risk of secondary collisions and compounding damage.
• Likelihood of fatalities – Head-on collisions have a higher probability of causing severe injuries or fatalities due to the combination of high-impact force and human vulnerability.

As you can see, a head-on collision can have a number of outcomes you don’t want. That’s why the legal process is so important to your overall recovery, and also why it’s in your best interest to work with our team. We have the experience and dedication you need.

Contact MJB Law For a Free Consultation After an Orland Park Head-on Collision

You don’t get in your car expecting any type of car accident, but especially a head-on collision. Still, as you drive to work or your child to school, this can happen. When it does, our team at MJB Law will be there to help you and your family recover from the damage. If you or a loved one have been injured in a head-on collision in Orland Park, contact us today for a free consultation.

Michael J. Brennan Accident & Injury Lawyer – Orland Park Office

16521 S 106th Ct
Orland Park, IL 60467
P: (708) 809-2211