An 18-year-old driver lost control of his vehicle then over-corrected causing him to cross the center of US 41-A just south of Highway 416, and hitting an SUV head on. A witness to the crash was a truck driver who slammed on his brakes and then jackknifed his tractor-trailer spilling diesel over the highway. The tractor-trailer did not collide with anyone.
The 18-year-old driver along with two passengers and the driver of the SUV were taken to two separate hospitals. The crash occurred Monday, November 19, 2018, closing down both directions of US 41-A for a few hours.
Causes of Head-on Crashes
Though we don’t know what happened in the crash on US-41-A, there are some common causes for head-on crashes. Impaired driving, falling asleep or distracted driving are the leading causes of these types of accidents. A typical scenario is that the driver of one vehicle drifts across the center lane and into on-coming traffic giving little warning to the other driver who doesn’t have time to brake or swerve. These crashes are especially deadly as the weight and momentum of both vehicles compound the impact of the collision.
Who’s at Fault?
Determining Fault in a head on is often problematic as the collisions are violent and wreckage if often spread throughout the roadway. The vehicles are typically not near the impact point as they are flipped or thrown to the side of the road.
As in all auto accidents, the at-fault driver was the one who was negligent in their actions. Typically it’s the driver who crossed over the center lane and struck the car traveling in the correct lane going the correct direction. Usually in a head-on, investigators will come to the scene to determine what happened. They won’t specifically say who’s at fault, but they can determine what happened.
Don’t go it Alone
If you’ve been injured in a head-on or any other auto accident, do not take the insurance companies word for anything. It’s their job to pay you as little as possible. They may be courteous and friendly, but you need to get someone on your side. When you call Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, at 800 937-8443, you will immediately speak to a member of the legal team and not a message machine. You can also Live Chat with an expert who can immediately began helping you with your claim.
