Skip to Content
Wrong-Way Accident Lawyer
Stay tuned if you are interested in learning more about wrong-way car accidents. This article by car accident lawyer John Leppler’s injury law firm will discuss the common causes of those accidents as well as their likely consequences. Prepare yourself better for potential involvement in those crashes by continuing with the rest of this article.
Why Are Wrong-Way Crashes Happening?
We can contribute to wrong-way crashes to various contributing factors. Let’s use this section of the article to discuss some of those contributing factors in greater detail.
Impaired Drivers
Driving is an activity that requires a sound mind. If you are not in the right headspace while driving, you are effectively putting yourself and other motorists at great risk. Examples of impairments that can turn people into dangerous drivers include alcohol consumption, drug use, sleep deprivation, and stress. Therefore, you should know better than to drive when you become impaired in any way.
Distracted Drivers
While going down a stretch of road in Towson or any other part of Baltimore County, you may accidentally veer into the wrong lane because you are distracted. Unfortunately, by the time you notice that you have strayed from your lane, it may already be too late for you to do anything. Keep your focus on the road at all times if you do not want to deal with a tenacious wrong-way accident attorney or distracted driver accident lawyer.
Senior Drivers
Senior drivers are more likely to be involved in wrong-way car crashes. More specifically, the foundation notes that drivers’ chances of being involved in wrong-way accidents dramatically increase once they are over seventy years old. Declining abilities can help explain why older drivers are more likely to be involved in wrong-way crashes. Check-in with your older relatives to see if driving has become more difficult for them. Engage them in honest and empathetic conversations so you can better understand the types of driving experiences they are having.
Busy Roads
Crowded Maryland roads also frequently play host to wrong-way accidents. US Route 40, US Route 50, and US Route 301 are among the busiest roads in and around Maryland. Try to avoid using those routes if you want to decrease your chances of being involved in an accident.
Poor Driving Conditions
Lastly, we cannot discuss the common causes of wrong-way accidents in Baltimore without mentioning poor driving conditions. Poor driving conditions may be related to damaged roads and/or bad weather. Exercise more caution on the road if you know the driving conditions are unfavorable to you and your fellow motorists.
Do I Still Need an Attorney if I Was Not At Fault?
Should you hire a personal injury attorney if you already know that the wrong-way car accident was not your fault? That is a question that many victims grapple with. You may conclude that hiring an auto accident attorney is no longer necessary because the facts of the case are overwhelmingly in your favor, but making that assumption is risky. There is no telling what tactics the defendant may deploy to avoid their financial responsibility.
For instance, the other side may focus their defense solely on casting a bit of blame onto you. That strategy works in Maryland because of contributory negligence. According to the Legal Information Institute, they bar plaintiffs from recovering damages if they share even 1% of the blame for an accident with contributory negligence in effect. Even if the defendant accepts the lion’s share of the blame for what happened, they can still avoid making a payout by simply getting you to accept a bit of responsibility.
That kind of legal defense can be effective in Maryland personal injury cases. Partner with a car accident injury attorney to prevent that strategy from succeeding.
What Type of Settlement Can I Expect from My Wrong-Way Accident Case?
Personal injury lawsuits are not always decided by the courts. More often than not, the parties involved will negotiate until they reach a settlement that they both find agreeable. If you need compensation right away, you and the injury law firm can also push for a settlement. So, what kind of settlement should you see if you are the victim of a wrong-way car accident? As much as we may want to give you more definitive numbers, the truth is that settlements can be quite varied.
Settlement figures will vary based on the extent of your losses. You are more likely to receive a substantial settlement offer if you sustained serious injuries from the accident. Victims who had to miss work due to their injuries are also more likely to get a big offer. Experiencing losses stemming from property damage is another factor contributing to a higher settlement.
A car wreck lawyer who excels at gathering evidence can also contribute to raising the settlement offer you receive. The other party may need to increase your settlement offer after learning about all the pieces of evidence you have gathered. They can no longer deny responsibility, so their best option is to settle the matter and avoid a court date.
Work closely with a Baltimore car accident lawyer to land a big settlement offer from the defendant in your case.
Wrong-Way Accidents Resulting in a Wrongful Death
A wrongful death lawsuit is a civil claim that gives the surviving relatives of an accident victim some way to recoup compensation. If your loved one dies due to a wrong-way accident, pursuing a wrongful death claim is one of the ways you can get some justice for what happened. How does a fatal car accident become a wrongful death case?
Wrongful death cases emerge when there is an element of negligence or recklessness that played a role in the accident. You may also have a wrongful death case on your hands if your relative died due to the intentional actions of the defendant.
You and your car injury attorney must show that the defendant’s negligent, reckless, or intentional actions directly caused the death of your loved one. Once that connection is established, your chances of winning your wrongful death lawsuit greatly increase. In the state of Maryland, the decedent’s surviving spouse, parents, and/or children can file a wrongful death lawsuit.
If those parties cannot file the wrongful death claim, any person related to the decedent by blood or marriage can still move the lawsuit forward. They would receive that right if they were dependent on the decedent.
Injuries Associated with Wrong-Way Car Accidents
Wrong-way car accidents are known for causing serious injuries. In this section, we will talk about some of the injuries people are likely to sustain after they are involved in those crashes.
Concussions
The force generated when two cars traveling in opposite directions hit each other can be quite strong. It is likely strong enough to send your body flying in different directions. If you end up hitting your head on a hard surface while you are reeling from the impact, you could sustain a severe concussion.
Severe concussions are no joke. Aside from causing physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, and nausea, concussions can also adversely affect a person’s cognitive functions. People suffering from concussions may experience memory and concentration issues. Your car injury lawyer will ensure that your compensation award also accounts for your severe concussion.
Broken Bones
Wrong-way car accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. Because of how quickly things unfold, you cannot do anything to brace yourself. With your body exposed like that, the chances of sustaining some broken bones greatly increase. If some of the bones along your spine are fractured, you may also have paralysis.
Internal Organ Injuries
Victims in wrong-way accidents are also more susceptible to internal organ injuries. As the two cars crash into one another, all kinds of debris may go flying into the vehicle interiors. Those stray pieces of debris may also enter your body and damage your organs. Hire a wrong-way accident lawyer who can get you fair compensation for those injuries.
Auto Accident Lawyer in Baltimore
In addition to wrong way crash cases we also handle cases involving rear-end accidents, head-on collisions, t-bone accidents, and more. As an experienced Baltimore personal injury lawyer, John Leppler will stop at nothing to claim the compensation you deserve following your involvement in a wrong-way car accident. Contact our injury law firm today and allow us to provide the legal assistance you need.