The millions of car accidents in the U.S. annually happen for many reasons, and some kind of driver error is responsible for most. Although not as common as some, driving the wrong way can cause serious injuries or fatalities.
Fielding Law can assist you if you or a loved one sustained injuries in a car accident.
What Is a Wrong-Way Car Accident?
Drivers in the U.S. typically travel on the right-hand side of roadways. Some streets are one-way, especially in larger cities. Occasionally, cars head the wrong way in a traffic lane. If a collision occurs, there is a significant potential for fatalities because the vehicles involved are likely traveling at full speed.
You’d think drivers know to stay on their side of the road, but several factors can create situations where that doesn’t happen.
Distracted Driving
Drivers need to focus on traffic conditions at all times. Unfortunately, many distractions can take attention away from driving:
- Cell phone use
- Interacting with passengers
- Daydreaming
- Drinking, eating, and smoking
- Searching or reaching for objects
If your hands aren’t on the steering wheel and your mind isn’t focused on driving, you’re probably distracted. Distracted driving can make you unaware that you’re heading in the wrong direction.
Fatigued or Impaired Driving
Alcohol, drugs, and fatigue often make driving challenging at best. Drivers aren’t able to focus on what they’re doing, have slower reflexes and reaction times, and impaired judgment. They might even fall asleep at the wheel. All of these can easily send drivers in the wrong direction.
Unfamiliarity With the Location
When drivers are unfamiliar with their surroundings, driving is sometimes challenging.
- Cities often have several one-way streets heading in different directions.
- Construction zone travel might change regularly.
- Missing or poor signage can make understanding which way to go challenging.
Many people depend on GPS to guide them, but these systems aren’t always correct or up-to-date. Drivers need to pay attention to their surroundings, especially in new areas.
Blind Corners
In rural areas with sparse traffic, drivers are often tempted to “straighten corners” by using the entire road. When vegetation or other things prevent them from seeing oncoming traffic around a corner, head-on collisions can occur.
Passing
Slowed or stopped traffic and road obstructions make passing them necessary at times. However, passing can cause wrong-way collisions:
- Passing in no-passing zones, like when approaching a hill, in tunnels, on bridges, and when lanes are separated with solid lines
- Failing to notice oncoming traffic
- Not re-entering your lane quickly enough
Crashes caused by passing typically occur in residential neighborhoods or streets with only one lane heading in each direction.
Poor Visibility
When drivers can’t see clearly, they can make unintentional mistakes. Some conditions that impair visibility include:
- Overnight hours
- Poor lighting from street lights or headlights
- Low-lying fog
- Sun glare
- Heavy rain or snow
- Poor eyesight
If you’re unable to see where you’re going, you can mistakenly head the wrong way in traffic.
What Kinds of Collisions Can Occur?
Wrong-way driving most frequently results in head-on collisions. Without getting into a physics lesson, forces multiply when two moving objects collide head-on. If both vehicles are traveling at 25 mph, for instance, the impact force is similar to that in other kinds of accidents at 50 mph.
Other kinds of collisions that wrong-way driving can cause include:
- All drivers can swerve in an attempt to avoid a head-on collision and hit other cars or obstacles.
- Pedestrian or cyclist accidents.
- Side-impact collisions.
- Multiple-vehicle crashes.
If one car takes evasive maneuvers to avoid impact, that can cause a chain reaction that involves several vehicles. Other drivers might stare at wrong-way cars and veer off track themselves.
Can You File a Claim?
In most instances, those injured in car accidents can file insurance claims or civil lawsuits to seek compensation for damages. A wrong-way accident may qualify you to make different kinds of claims.
Competent attorneys can predict how much compensation you’re eligible to receive; however, every claim is different. We need to discuss the details of your crash, injuries, and other factors to make an accurate estimate. Contact Fielding Law and request a free case evaluation today.
Personal Injury
When car accidents cause injuries, victims can file insurance claims or civil lawsuits to seek compensation for their damages. Laws vary by state, so ask your Fielding Law attorney about your eligibility.
Economic Damages
A car crash can disrupt your life financially in many ways. You can seek reimbursement for many expenses, such as:
- Medical treatments, hospital stays, medications, medical equipment, and rehabilitation
- Some daily necessities, like the cost of caregivers
- Lost wages from time away from work
Your attorney will need copies of your receipts and bills. Some victims obtain compensation for future lost wages and medical expenses.
Non-Economic Damages
Wrong-way collisions can impact other areas of your life in addition to your finances. Some accident victims receive compensation for things like:
- Permanent disfigurement
- Harm to personal relationships
- Inconvenience
- PTSD, anxiety, and depression
- Pain and suffering
- Being unable to enjoy life
Insurance companies often dispute these damages, but Fielding Law will fight for your rights.
Punitive or Exemplary Damages
States may allow exemplary or punitive damages when the guilty party acted with extreme recklessness, maliciousness, or intent to cause harm. Few cases qualify for these damages.
Wrongful Death
Say that John was injured in a wrong-way accident and is eligible to file a personal injury claim. Qualifying survivors can usually file a wrongful death suit if he dies from his injuries. Contact Fielding Law to find out if this type of claim applies to your situation.
Property Damage
Wrong-way crashes typically cause severe damage to the vehicles involved, but they can also destroy other property, including:
- Mailboxes and fences
- The clothing and accessories car occupants are wearing
- Phones, bags, and other personal belongings
- Cargo
If a car accident damages or destroys your property, tell your attorney.
Will You Have To Go to Court?
Many personal injury claims settle without needing a court proceeding. At times, a trial is warranted. Your Fielding Law attorney may recommend filing a lawsuit if:
- Insurance companies won’t offer fair compensation through negotiations.
- Your insurance claim is denied.
- The fault for causing the accident is unclear.
- Your damages exceed the at-fault driver’s policy limits.
- The responsible party is underinsured or uninsured.
If you hire a lawyer who doesn’t have much trial experience or success, insurance companies may be less likely to make reasonable settlement offers. Fielding Law will attempt to settle your claim out of court, but we have extensive experience in court and won’t hesitate to take your case to trial if needed.
Why Should You Choose Fielding Law?
Handling a wrong-way car accident claim alone is challenging. Fielding Law focuses on car accident cases, so we’re familiar with the applicable laws and complications that can arise. Our firm has won more than $60 million for our clients, and providing personal attention and a high case success rate has earned us a 5-star Google rating.
You won’t owe any fees unless we win compensation on your behalf, so there’s no risk involved. Contact Fielding Law 24/7 to request your free case evaluation. Use live chat, submit our contact request form, or call us at (877) 800-4090.
