Most of the time, injuries that people sustain in car crashes come not from the initial impact itself but from the crash victim’s body impacting against some part of their vehicle after the car’s forward momentum is suddenly stopped. This is a big reason why head-on collisions tend to be especially dangerous—instead of just stopping, the car’s momentum is actually pushed back towards its occupants, significantly increasing the force that is imparted on them.
Like any other type of traffic collision, a front-end car accident in Chandler can serve as grounds for civil litigation against anyone whose reckless or careless misconduct contributed to causing the wreck. However, because these incidents are often catastrophic, it can be especially important in the aftermath to have help from an auto accident lawyer who has handled similar cases successfully in the past.
Where and Why Do Head-On Collisions Happen?
The most common place for front-end car crashes to occur in Chandler and across the Grand Canyon State is on two-lane roads with no physical barrier dividing those two lanes of traffic, particularly in rural areas with relatively little artificial lighting. However, collisions like this can also happen at lower speeds on narrow urban streets and even at higher speeds on freeways if—for example—a drunk driver ends up going the wrong way on an interstate.
On that note, impairment by drugs or alcohol is among the leading causes of head-on collisions, but so too are more mundane traffic violations like speeding, failure to follow right-of-way rules, and especially distracted driving. What all these acts have in common is the fact that they all constitute a breach of a driver’s duty to act responsibly behind the wheel, which means they can qualify as legally actionable negligence if they end up being the direct cause of a wreck.
How Comparative Fault Could Impact Recovery Efforts
Of course, the fact that one person involved in a Chandler head-on traffic accident did something reckless or careless immediately before the wreck occurred does not automatically make them 100 percent at fault for that incident. In fact, it is far from unheard of for injured people filing suit over crashes of this nature to be found partially at fault for their own injuries based on their own negligent behavior—for example, going over the speed limit on a two-lane road when an oncoming drunk driver veered into their lane.
Under Arizona Revised Statutes §12-2505, any injured person who has a percentage of comparative fault assigned to them by a court is subject to having their final damage award reduced by that same percentage. Insurance companies generally consider comparative fault when making settlement offers, too, which can be a significant obstacle to recovery in any claim, especially for people who try to sue without seasoned legal counsel.
Speak With a Chandler Attorney About a Front-End Car Accident Lawsuit
Getting into a head-on crash is always an intensely traumatic experience, and it is, unfortunately, often a life-altering one too. You should know, however, that you have help available to you from dedicated legal professionals who know how to fight effectively and efficiently on behalf of people like you.
Contacting Phillips Law Group should be a top priority for anyone recently injured in a front-end car accident in Chandler. Call today to discuss your options with a member of our legal team during a free, no-obligation consultation.
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