Head-on collisions are among the most dangerous and deadly of all traffic accidents. Those fortunate enough to survive an accident often face several severe, often debilitating, injuries.
On top of the physical pain of injury, head-on collision accident victims face emotional stress from coping with the physical and financial aftermath of their injuries. Sometimes the inability to work as they amass medical bills leads to economic hardship, including foreclosure, eviction, repossession, and struggles to pay monthly and daily bills.
If you or a loved one has sustained injuries in a head-on collision in Wisconsin, you have the right to take legal action to recover losses when that collision occurred because of negligence.
The experienced Wisconsin head-on collision attorneys at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers have been advocating for victims of negligence since 2007. We understand the challenges you face because of your injuries and are here to help. Contact us today to discuss your Wisconsin head-on collision and learn more about how we can help you seek compensation for losses related to your injuries.
Why Choose Nicolet Law for Your Wisconsin Head-on Collision Claim
If you’ve suffered injuries in a Wisconsin head-on collision, you need to focus on healing from your injuries. Dealing with insurance claims, insurance adjusters, investigators, and the legal system creates additional stress and pulls away from the time you need to engage in rehabilitation activities.
Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers have extensive experience dealing with investigating, negotiating, and settling accident injury claims, including those involving head-on collisions.
The skilled legal team at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers has received regional and national recognition from elite organizations like Super Lawyers because of their continued commitment to client advocacy and professional excellence.
Our team of personal injury attorneys advocates for victims of negligence to seek justice and recover the maximum compensation for their injuries. Since the firm’s genesis, we have helped clients recover millions in damages from settlements and jury verdicts and provide personalized service, which isn’t always found at large law firms.
Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers serves clients throughout Wisconsin. We have offices in:
- Eau Claire
- Green Bay
- Hudson
- La Crosse
- Milwaukee
- New Richmond
- Rice Lake
- River Falls
- Superior
- Wausau
- River Falls
Contact us today online to discuss the details of your Wisconsin head-on collision and injuries with one of our team members during a free consultation. We prefer to meet potential clients face-to-face, but injuries and other life circumstances can make in-person meetings difficult or impossible. If you cannot come to one of our offices throughout the state, we also offer convenient virtual meetings to discuss your case.
Compensation in Wisconsin Head-on Collision Claims
If you have sustained injuries in a Wisconsin head-on collision due to negligence, you have the right to sue the other driver for compensation to recover economic and non-economic losses related to your injuries. Each accident claim has different circumstances that affect the type of damages and how much compensation someone can recover if they reach a settlement or win their case in court.
Damages commonly awarded to victims for injuries from an accident injury claim provide compensation for:
- Medical expenses, including ambulance and emergency room services, surgery, hospital stay, x-rays and scans, lab tests, follow-up visits, and travel expenses to and from the doctor or treating facility
- Estimated future medical treatment costs when a head-on collision leads to severe or permanent injuries that require continued care and treatment, possibly in a long-term nursing care facility
- Rehabilitation services, including treatment with a physical therapist, occupational therapist, mental health professionals, and other specialized treatments that help accident victims cope with the physical and emotional challenges related to their injuries
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of consortium with a spouse
Factors that affect the amount and type of compensation that someone might receive in a Wisconsin head-on collision claim include:
- Severity and nature of injuries. In most cases, those with the most severe injuries receive more compensation than those with minor injuries. The nature of an injury can also increase the value of a claim. This is especially common when head-on collisions lead to injuries in highly visible areas. For example, someone who suffers burn injuries on their face from an accident could receive more money than someone who breaks their collarbone, especially if they have permanent scars.
- Amount of economic loss. Someone’s total economic loss after a head-on collision is closely related to the scope and severity of their injuries. Severe injuries require more time in the hospital, rehabilitation, and time away from work, creating massive economic loss.
- Long-term prognosis. Permanent injuries almost always result in more compensation for accident victims. For example, someone that loses their eyesight from a brain injury or suffers the loss of a limb from a traffic crash is likely to receive more compensation than someone who recovers completely from their injuries.
A skilled Wisconsin head-on collision lawyer from Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers can review your claim, gather evidence, obtain medical records, and consult with relevant experts to advise you on which damages apply to your case and how much you could receive in a settlement or jury award.
Common Causes of Head-on Collisions on Wisconsin’s Roads
The vast majority of car crashes are preventable. Even when the weather plays a part in a head-on collision, the accident often could have been avoided. Various situations can directly or indirectly lead to dangerous head-on accidents, but most include negligent driving behavior. One or more of the following driving behaviors could lead to a head-on collision on Wisconsin’s roads.
Wrong-way Turns
Drivers who are drunk or distracted sometimes go the wrong way down a one-way street. If they do not quickly realize their error, they could cause a head-on collision. These head-on collisions often occur on city streets, so collisions occur at low speeds. Wrong-way turns that involve entering the wrong exit or entrance ramp to the interstate or a highway can be far more treacherous because of the increase in speed.
Crossing the Center Line
Many head-on collisions occur because one driver crossed the center line on a two-lane or four-lane road without a median. Driving under the influence, distracted driving, drowsy driving, and medical emergencies are among the most common reasons drivers cross the center line.
Wisconsin’s winter weather also creates slippery roads and poor visibility, sometimes causing drivers to swerve because they lose control of their vehicles. Wisconsin drivers, especially in rural areas, face deer and other animals and other road hazards that might cause them to swerve purposely and cause a head-on collision.
Speeding
Speeding doesn’t directly lead to head-on collisions, but speed can cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles. Driving too fast, especially on slippery roads, often leads to a loss of control. Depending on the situation, a driver might swerve into oncoming traffic and cause a dangerous head-on collision.
Improper Passing
Reckless and impatient drivers sometimes choose to pass a vehicle, crossing over double-yellow lines on a two-lane road. Many times these careless drivers luck out and do not cause an accident. However, when they pass on a curve or hill when they can’t see oncoming traffic, the risk of a head-on collision is much higher.
Injuries in Wisconsin Head-On Collisions
A head-on collision almost always leads to injuries because those involved cannot escape the impact of the crash. However, the speed of the vehicles dictates the severity of the injuries. Seatbelts and airbags stop bodies from heading toward the windshield at slower speeds. High-speed crashes often cause severe and deadly injuries.
Examples of injuries from head-on collisions include:
- Neck injuries, including broken vertebrae and soft tissue damage
- Head and brain injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputation
- Dislocation
- Internal organ damage
Fighting the Insurance Company After a Wisconsin Head-on Collision
Even when the head-on collision is clearly the other driver’s fault, fighting the insurance company for fair compensation isn’t easy. Insurance companies avoid paying out claims whenever they can. If they cannot legitimately deny a claim, they look for ways to reduce the value, often by disputing liability or downplaying injuries. The other driver’s insurance carrier will likely contact you soon after the accident for a statement, and they might even make an early settlement offer.
It’s always best to defer these conversations to your lawyer or consult a lawyer before you speak to an insurance company or sign anything. They often request to record statements, obtain someone’s entire medical history, and for a claimant to agree not to take further action if they accept an early settlement offer.
An experienced head-on collision attorney can protect your rights by ensuring the insurance company only gets the information they need to evaluate and decide a claim. Additionally, a lawyer can review any early offers.
Early offers typically do not represent the full value of the claim. Insurance companies make these predatory offers to tempt claimants to resolve their claims early. Once someone accepts an offer, they forfeit their right to seek further compensation. This poses a problem because accident victims do not know the full scope of their injuries until some time after their crash.
Accepting an offer too soon can leave car accident victims without the funds they need for ongoing care and treatment. Our lawyers can use an early offer as a starting point for negotiations with the other side, often obtaining more money for their clients.
What to Do After a Brain Injury Diagnosis
Your health and well-being need to be your top priority after suffering injuries in a Wisconsin head-on collision. However, you need to protect the value of your claim to obtain the best financial outcome for your case.
Following these guidelines can support your claim:
- Follow doctors’ orders. At some point after your initial emergency treatment, you likely discussed a treatment plan with your treating physician. Follow your plan and keep all medical appointments so you don’t make it easy for the other side to downplay your injuries.
- Keep all bills and receipts. Head-on collisions come with financial loss from property damage to your vehicle to medical expenses to lost income. Keep documents that show your economic losses, including medical bills, vehicle repair receipts, and payroll information that shows lost income and benefits from work.
- Keep a daily journal during your recovery. A portion of accident injury claims includes compensation for non-economic loss—the ways in which car accident injuries impact someone’s life. It’s difficult to accurately remember day-to-day struggles when you meet with your lawyer or talk with other parties. Record your feelings, challenges, pain, and anything you think is relevant in a daily written or video journal.
Bring all your documents and journal to your Wisconsin head-on collision accident lawyer during your first consultation, and continue to provide them with copies of your receipts as you incur financial loss. It’s always better to provide too much information. Your lawyer can eliminate any items that don’t support your claim.
Get the Legal Help You Need from a Wisconsin Head-On Collision Attorney
Head-on collisions are traumatic events that often result in severe and permanent injuries. Even after medical treatment, broken bones and injuries can lead to lifelong struggles with pain and discomfort. Taking legal action won’t take away your pain, but it can provide financial relief, especially if you have amassed major losses. Reach out to a Wisconsin car accident lawyer.
Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers understand the challenges you face, and we are here to help you seek justice. Contact us today online or call us at (715) 377-2141 for a free consultation to discuss the details of your head-on collision, the way your injuries affected your life, and the next steps for your individual circumstances.