Atlanta Front-End Crash Lawyers
In terms of injury and death, a front-end crash is the absolute worst type of car accident one can get involved in. The force of impact between two cars meeting head-on at high speeds is disastrous. While front-end crashes only make up two percent of motor vehicle collisions, they account for ten percent of traffic deaths occurring outside of an intersection. Survivors of front-end crashes must often deal with a lifetime of challenges from the physical and psychological scars a front-end crash leaves behind.
The costs of a front-end crash can be enormous, and victims and their families will need considerable help in the days, months, and years to come. The Atlanta front-end crash lawyers at Shiver Hamilton Campbell have a reputation for taking on the most catastrophic cases of personal injury and wrongful death and recovering significant compensation for accident victims and their families. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a metro Atlanta front-end crash or other car accident, or if you are an attorney needing co-counsel or a referral for your client’s injury case, call Shiver Hamilton Campbell for a free consultation about your claims.
Causes of Front-End Crashes in Atlanta
Head-on collisions occur when both drivers are traveling in opposite directions in the same lane. Front-end crashes may be rare compared to other types of car accidents, but there are a lot of different ways they can happen. Leading causes of front-end crashes in Atlanta include the following:
- The driver crosses the center line to pass another vehicle and crashes head-on with a car coming from the opposite direction. These crashes happen more often at the top of a hill or around a curve, where the passing driver doesn’t have a clear view of oncoming traffic. They also occur when the passing drivers know oncoming traffic is approaching but think they can complete the pass and get back over into their lane in time.
- The driver goes the wrong way on a one-way street. This can happen to drivers who are unfamiliar with the area and are not paying sufficient attention to street signs.
- The driver enters the highway on an exit ramp, thinking it is an on-ramp, and goes down the highway the wrong way. This mistake can happen to elderly drivers, drunk drivers, or distracted drivers who aren’t paying attention and keeping their minds on the task of driving.
- A fatigued driver drifts over into the oncoming lane. A drowsy driver doesn’t need to fall asleep at the wheel for this error to occur. Nodding off for just a second or two is enough to cause a fatal crash.
- A distracted driver suddenly sees an obstruction in the road, a pedestrian, or a traffic slowdown, and the driver overreacts by swerving into the opposite lane of traffic.
Front-End Crashes Cause the Most Serious Injuries
Head-on collisions frequently result in the most devastating or fatal injuries. These accidents often happen on country roads or two-lane highways where both vehicles are going fast, and when the two cars collide, the force of the impact is multiplied by the high rate of speed of each car. Drivers and passengers can get thrown around inside the cabin or ejected from the vehicle, causing broken bones and head and brain injuries, internal injuries, amputations, or other permanent scarring or disfigurement. A front-end crash can also cause a vehicle to flip or roll over, leading to a high rate of fatality.
The costs of dealing with the aftermath of a front-end crash can be enormous. Accident victims often need to be transported to the hospital via ambulance for emergency surgery, followed by a lengthy hospital stay including both intensive care and rehabilitation. Victims may miss weeks or months of work or be permanently disabled. The terror and shock of such a horrific crash can also cause lasting psychological trauma and disability, along with the physical and emotional pain and suffering endured in the crash itself as well as throughout the recovery period and beyond.
Laws and Recoverable Damages
To prevail in a front-end car accident lawsuit in Atlanta, the injured person must prove that the negligence of another party—or of multiple parties—directly caused their car accident. Negligence is a legal term used to describe behavior that was below the standard expected of a reasonable person in similar circumstances.
Atlanta law allows for people injured in a front-end car collision to recover for damage to their property and any personal injuries they may have suffered because of an accident. If a plaintiff is hospitalized for any injuries directly related to the crash, then they may be able to demand compensation for all associated medical costs.
Furthermore, they may seek damages relating to any lost wages arising from an inability to work while recovering from their head-on collision, as well as any diminished ability to earn a living in the future, if applicable. Other possible damages could include loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, and any potential diminished future value of the vehicle involved in the accident.
Establishing Liability
In some circumstances, there may be multiple parties liable for a front-end collision. This may include multiple drivers whose reckless behavior caused the accident, distracted driver, or it could be a government agency for negligent maintenance of an Atlanta roadway. Sometimes, the injured person of the front-end collision themselves may also be partially responsible. When this happens, then Atlanta’s modified comparative negligence law applies.
Under Georgia Code §51-12-33, a judge or jury may assign a percentage of the fault to each person, business, or government agency responsible for the head-on collision. Then, each responsible party is liable for a percentage of the total damages in proportion to their fault.
This means that an injured victim of a front-end car accident in Atlanta can still recover for some of their damages, even if they were partially at fault. However, if the injured person is judged to be over 50 percent at fault for the head-on collision, then they will not be able to recover any of the damages. A front-end car accident lawyer in Atlanta could assist someone with filing a claim and establishing fault.
Get the Help You Need From A Atlanta Front-End Crash Lawyer
Accident victims, or the families of those who lose a loved one in a head-on crash, face significant disruption in their lives and often struggle to put their lives back together after a devastating injury or wrongful death. The attorneys at Shiver Hamilton Campbell dedicate themselves to advocating on behalf of accident victims and their families, making sure they get a full and fair amount of compensation to help them deal with the tragedy and regain the best quality of life they can. Our firm is known for achieving substantial jury verdicts in the most serious cases.
If you have been injured in a metro Atlanta front-end crash, or if you lost a beloved family member in a head-on collision, call Shiver Hamilton Campbell at 404-593-0020 for a free consultation. We take on cases involving the most serious catastrophic injuries or wrongful death, and we fight to secure significant compensation for our clients who were hurt because of another’s negligence or wrongful conduct.
