St. Petersburg Head-On Collision Lawyer
As defined by St. Petersburg law, a head-on collision is when two cars collide hitting the front of each other’s vehicles. If you have been injured in a similar incident, contact a distinguished car accident attorney to begin filing your injury claim. It may be critical to speak with a St. Petersburg head-on collision lawyer as soon as possible. A qualified attorney can devote the time and resources necessary to building a solid case for you.
Common Causes and Associated Injuries
One common way is a DUI where someone is driving under the influence of alcohol, crosses over the median or anything separating the two separate lanes of traffic, and goes into oncoming traffic. They cause a head-on collision that way. Another way head-on collisions happen is when two vehicles are turning at the same light and one of them runs a red light, colliding with the other vehicle going on the green light.
Head-on collisions do not happen at a low rate of speed. Usually, one of the drivers is not paying attention or is intoxicated and going at a high rate of speed colliding with another vehicle. The higher rate of speed accident occurs the more likely severe injuries are going to be caused.
Defining Roles in Head-On Accidents
St. Petersburg head-on collision lawyers typically see that one of the two drivers is breaking the law, which can bring with it punitive damages and per se liability. Sometimes somebody who is negligent crosses over one lane or is going down a one-way street not realizing it is one way because they are unfamiliar with the territory.
Assigning Fault Following an Accident
Usually, an investigation is done by law enforcement. They will give a citation if they feel one is warranted. That citation and investigation many times is used by the attorneys and the insurance companies to determine fault.
St. Petersburg head-on collision lawyers can have their own accident reconstructionists take the pictures, measurements, and drawings from what happened in the accident and determine who is at fault based on their investigation.
Witnesses statements from the at fault driver, the victim, and any other eyewitnesses to the accident can be taken into account when proving liability for an accident. If a person gets video surveillance or security camera footage to show how the accident occurs, it can be used in proving liability.
How Does Someone Get Punitive Damages?
If the at fault driver was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and caused the accident, punitive damages can come alongside that. If they can prove that they were reckless or had disregard for the safety of others, they can argue that punitive damages should apply to punish the wrongful activity.
Importance of Medical Attention
Safety and health are the most important aspects of the case. It is imperative that an accident victim see a doctor after a head-on collision to make sure that they can diagnose the severity of their injury, and get a treatment plan in place that is going to put them in the best position to get as healthy as they can. Even after suffering some kind of permanent injury that will never be 100 percent healed, they can get to their maximum medical improvement.
Working with an Attorney
One of the most important first steps taken by a St. Petersburg head-on collision lawyer is to make sure they get all the information to prove liability in a case. They need the police report, witness statements, photographs of the accident, and any video surveillance that may have recorded the accident to make sure they can put together their picture of liability at the same time that the insurance company is doing it.
They will collect all of the medical records and medical bills to make sure that they can prove what the damages are in a case and take steps to handle all the procedures and logistics of the case so you can focus on treatment and getting your life back on track.