A head-on collision is statistically the most dangerous type of traffic accident. While representing only 2 percent of crashes, they account for well over 10 percent of driving fatalities, as well as a great number of life-threatening injuries.
If you have been seriously injured or lost a loved one in a head-on collision as a result of another person’s negligent or reckless driving, the experienced New Jersey car accident attorneys at Levin & Malkin are prepared to provide you with outstanding legal representation. Moreover, we will charge you nothing until we win your case and provide you with just compensation.
From our office in Hackensack, we have been successfully defending the rights of clients in Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties for over 40 years. We firmly believe that drivers whose misconduct results in severe or catastrophic harm to others must be held accountable. With this in mind, we will engage in aggressive litigation to see that you receive the compensation you are entitled to.
Why Head-On Collisions Are Such a Nightmare
Moviemakers know how horrifying just watching a head-on collision is — the seconds of perceiving the inevitability of disaster, the doubled force of impact of two vehicles colliding, the vulnerability of drivers and passengers in spite of seatbelts, airbags, and other safety features.
When another vehicle is about to plow into your car, especially at a high speed, there’s no time to react or avoid the crash. There is only time to be terrified.
Reasons for Head-on Collisions
Theoretically, head-on collisions are nearly impossible since traffic lanes separate cars going in opposite directions. On many highways, these lanes are divided by barriers of vegetation or cement to prevent such accidents. Nevertheless, the media too often report the horrible consequences of head-on collisions on poorly lit, narrow, winding rural roads or on highways that impaired or distracted drivers enter going in the wrong direction.
While an unexpected medical event or an automotive defect may be to blame for a head-on collision, in all probability the crash results from one of the following types of reckless misconduct:
- Driver has fallen asleep
- Driver is impaired by drugs or alcohol
- Driver is speeding and/or driving unsafely around a curve
- Driver is distracted by an electronic device
- Driver is confused by being lost
- Driver is disoriented by a cognitive or psychiatric problem
Damages Levin & Malkin Will Fight to Win for You and Your Family
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a head-on collision, you need our skilled, compassionate attorneys to see you through. Keenly aware of the trauma — physical, emotional, and financial — you and your family continue to navigate, we will charge you no attorneys’ fees until we recover the damages you deserve for economic and non-economic (intangible) losses, such as:
- Medical and rehabilitation costs
- Lost income, present and future
- Property damage or loss
- Permanent disability
- Long-term nursing care
- Psychological counseling
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent scarring or other disfigurements
- Loss of enjoyment of life
If you are coping with the awful aftermath of the death of a family member in a head-on collision, we will seek compensation for final medical costs, funeral expenses, and loss of financial and emotional support. If the behavior of the other driver has been particularly egregious, we may also convince the court that you deserve punitive damages.
What Our Head-On Collision Attorneys Will Do to Help
First and foremost, we will be available to discuss your case, answer your questions, and offer you the moral support the situation demands. Next, we will take over all legal and insurance matters so that you are able to rest undisturbed. We can be counted on to
- Thoroughly investigate the site of the accident
- Pore over any surveillance footage and physical evidence
- Examine police reports and medical data
- Interview witnesses
- Consult with medical and accident reconstruction experts
Using information gathered from these sources, as well as your account of the accident, we will develop a strategic approach to litigation. Our excellent track record should give confidence in courtroom prowess.
What if you are partly responsible for the head-on collision?
The laws of all the states make room for the possibility that both drivers may share in the responsibility for the accident, though it is unlikely that they are equally at fault. Suppose there is evidence that your blood alcohol content (BAC) was over the limit at the time of the collision, even though the other car was on the wrong side of the road? What then
New Jersey adheres to the principle of modified comparative fault. This means that the court can assign a percentage of fault to each driver in the head-on collision and the injured party, assuming he or she is not deemed more than 50 percent at fault, can still be awarded compensatory damages.
In such cases, the amount you will receive, however, will be lessened by your perceived percentage of fault. If you are found to be 30 percent at fault, for example, and the court awards $1 million in damages, you will actually receive $700,000. Our car accident law team is savvy enough to make a persuasive case that your percentage of fault is minimal so that you will receive maximum compensation.
Contact Our Head-On Collision Attorneys to Empower You Going Forward
Once you get in touch with us for a free initial consultation, you will realize that our long experience and well-honed skills will stand you in good stead. We are dedicated to your cause and determined to do everything in our power to win your case.