A head on crash on the Paul Gelegotis Bridge connecting St. James and St. Johns Islands left a 20-year-old Jarquez Montgomery dead. Montgomery’s vehicle reportedly crossed the center line and hit a pick-up truck head on. Montgomery was not wearing a seatbelt, and was thrown from the vehicle. Three people who were in the pick-up truck were taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life threatening.
Head on collisions can be particularly dangerous because the crash impact is increased when the two vehicles that collide are heading directly toward one another. Head on crashes make up a disproportionate percentage of motor vehicle fatalities, and occupants of vehicles involved in head-on collisions may suffer serious injuries such as:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal injury
- Broken bones
- Damage to internal organs
If you’ve been involved in a head on collision or other high impact accident, it’s important to be aware that it is possible to suffer a TBI without actually hitting your head. That’s because when your head is snapped forward or jerked back forcefully, the brain can bang against the inside of the skull. If you’re unsure whether or how seriously you may have been injured, you should err on the side of caution and seek medical attention.
Liability in Head on Collision Cases
If you’ve been injured in a car crash because someone else was negligent, you are likely entitled to compensation and need to contact an experienced Charleston car accident lawyer. In most cases, that compensation comes from the negligent driver’s insurance carrier. In some cases, it may be unclear who was to blame, fault may be disputed, or two or more people or entities may share responsibility. When the crash involves a head on collision, one driver is typically traveling in the wrong lane of traffic. That may happen because the driver inadvertantly (or intentionally) turned the wrong way on a one-way street or tried to use an entrance ramp to exit or vice versa. Or, it may happen because one driver crosses the center line into the oncoming lane of traffic. Some reasons a driver may cross the center line include:
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Driving while fatigued
- Road hypnosis
- Driving too fast on a curve
- Distracted driving
In other words, the driver who crosses the center line is very often found to have been negligent in some way.
Talk to a Charleston Car Accident Lawyer Right Away
After a head on collision or other car accident, the other driver’s auto insurance company will often reach out to you. What happens during those conversations can have a lasting impact on your claim. It’s generally best to consult an experienced Charleston head-on collision attorney as soon as possible after your accident. Then, the attorney can handle communications with the insurance carrier.
There are other good reasons to talk to an attorney right away, too. For example, your attorney may be able to obtain traffic camera footage of your accident that may not be available later. They may want to send someone out to photograph any damage to the crash site, skid marks and anything else that might help explain what happened. And they will have a opportunity to reach out to witnesses while they are easier to find and while their memories are fresh.
Charleston car accident attorney Frank Hartman has dedicated his legal practice to helping people who have been injured in and around Charleston, South Carolina. To learn more about how he may be able to help you after a car crash, contact us today. Just call 843-300-7600 right now, or fill out our contact form.