Las Vegas Head-On Collision Lawyers
Severe head-on collisions can turn your life upside down - let us help you get your life back on track.
Head-on crashes bring severe and stressful challenges, often leaving families overwhelmed by medical treatment and accident reports. The path forward isn't always straightforward, particularly when damages are serious and the fault may be disputed. Seeking legal support early gives you a clear plan for what to expect and helps answer the immediate questions about property damage and insurance.
Our goal is to stand beside you, never letting you face the aftermath of this accident alone. Contact us to schedule your free case evaluation.
Quick Questions
A head-on collision occurs when two vehicles traveling in opposite directions crash directly into each other. These accidents are considered especially dangerous and often result in severe injuries. Unlike rear-end accidents or side-impact crashes, which usually involve one car hitting the side or back of another, a head-on collision puts the full force and speed of both vehicles together. This means the impact is much greater and the risk for life-altering harm is much higher.
Head-on crashes are among the most serious types of crashes. This means they also cause some of the most severe injuries. Some injuries that often occur include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
- Broken bones and crush injuries
- Severe burns or lacerations
- Fatal injuries
If you or a loved one is involved in one of these accidents and has suffered a severe injury, it's important to seek medical help and a legal consultation as soon as you feel up to it.
While head-on accidents aren’t as common as other crash types, they can have incredibly severe outcomes. These collisions usually stem from errors in judgment or risky driving behaviors, leading one driver directly into the path of oncoming traffic. Here are several scenarios that can lead to these types of crashes:
Wrong-way driving on highways and ramps
A driver might make a wrong turn onto a highway off-ramp and end up going against traffic. This mistake quickly puts them face-to-face with cars headed the correct direction, sometimes at highway speeds.
Drunk or drug-impaired driving
When a driver is impaired, they can miss signs, get confused about where they are, or even fall asleep behind the wheel. Loss of vehicle control at these times increases the likelihood of driving into an oncoming lane, leading to a head-on impact.
Distracted driving
Texting, talking on the phone, or just conversing with passengers can mean a driver doesn’t notice their car drifting over the center line until it’s too late. Even just one second of distracted driving can cause someone to cross directly into the opposite lane.
Fatigued driving
Drivers who are overly tired sometimes swerve into oncoming traffic or overreact with sudden steering corrections, causing serious car accidents. Falling asleep at the wheel, even for a moment, can lead straight to a head-on crash.
Unsafe passing on two-lane roads
Many Nevada highways and rural roads are only one lane in each direction. When a driver tries to pass a slower vehicle without having a clear view, they can end up confronting a car coming the other way head-on.
Poor visibility or roadway design issues
Poorly lit roads at night, harsh weather, confusing signs, or overgrown plants can make it harder for drivers to see where their lane ends and the next begins. Some accidents occur when people inadvertently cross the center line due to these hazards.
By understanding what can lead to a head-on crash, drivers can take steps to try to avoid these devastating accidents. If you’re injured in this type of crash and believe it was someone else’s fault, you may be able to file a claim for compensation.
Serious events like a head-on collision demand careful attention from your legal team. At Claggett & Sykes Trial Lawyers, our lawyers know what’s at stake physically, financially, and legally for crash survivors. Insurance companies are often looking for reasons to limit payment after these life-changing wrecks, but our dedication to thorough case preparation gets results. Here's why we're a great choice when you need legal assistance:
- Las Vegas attorney Sean Claggett is widely respected in the profession and was recognized as Nevada’s Trial Lawyer of the Year.
- With a perfect Avvo score of 10.0 and more than $3.3 billion secured in verdicts and settlements, our team has proven courtroom experience.
- All clients receive help from several attorneys, ensuring personal attention throughout the process.
With decades of legal experience, we know how to build cases to give you a chance of success. From day one, we're by your side.
Determining who should take responsibility after a head-on crash usually depends on what exactly went wrong. Sometimes fault is clear, but other times more than one person, business, or even government entity may share legal responsibility for what happened. Identifying all possible contributors is an important early step in your claim. Here's an overview of who could be legally responsible in these cases:
Negligent drivers
Most commonly, liability falls on the driver who veered into oncoming lanes, whether they drove the wrong way, made an unsafe pass, or became distracted.
Employers of commercial drivers
If a professional driver, for instance, someone operating a delivery truck, causes a head-on collision during work hours, their employer may share liability with the driver.
This is true even if the employer wasn't negligent. This is because of a rule called vicarious liability. An employer could also be directly negligent if the accident was caused by negligent hiring or poor training.
Vehicle manufacturers
In some cases, vehicles with defective steering, brakes, or axles can lose control, leading to head-on collisions. Liability could fall on the actual maker of the vehicle or the parts in these cases.
Government entities
Unsafe or poorly designed roads, poorly placed signs, or missing lane markers might make a head-on crash far more likely. For example, if signs make it almost impossible to tell which ramp is an exit ramp and which is an on-ramp, that could lead to a head-on crash. If dangerous road conditions contributed to your crash, a city or county government may need to answer for it (subject to Nevada’s governmental immunity laws and statutory damage limits).
Anyone injured in a head-on collision will likely need support from a legal professional to investigate the case and determine legal liability.
Being involved in a head-on collision means tough medical, emotional, and financial decisions often follow quickly. Nevada law offers different legal paths for accident survivors as well as for families whose loved one lost their life in the crash.
Insurance claims
If you're involved in a head-on accident with another driver and they were at fault, your lawyer may be able to resolve the case by filing an insurance claim. However, if your damages exceed the coverage limits, or the insurance company denies your claim, you might need to look at other options.
Personal injury claims for those injured
If you’ve survived a head-on accident with injuries, Nevada law lets you file a personal injury claim against the person or parties who caused the wreck. These claims are intended to help you recover money for your related needs as you move forward from the crash.
Wrongful death claims for families
If someone died because another driver or company behaved dangerously, surviving families may have the right to file a wrongful death claim. This compensation helps cover funeral costs, lost future income, and emotional loss the family experienced because of the death.
With so much at stake after a serious accident, it's a good idea to reach out to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible so they can help you figure out what steps to take next.
Head-on collisions are often some of the most serious types of accidents on the road. When you're dealing with severe injuries, the last thing you want to do is search for a lawyer. Fortunately, we're here to help, and we're close by. Contact us when you're ready for assistance.
Las Vegas Location: 4101 Meadows Lane, Suite 100, Las Vegas, NV 89107
Reno Location: 100 N Sierra St., Suite 220, Reno, NV 89501
Schedule your free case assessment with our head-on collision lawyers
Achieving a fair outcome after you're injured in a head-on collision caused by someone else's negligence isn't always easy. Fortunately, our team can help you achieve this. We know how difficult this situation is and how much you're struggling, which is why we handle all aspects of the insurance claim or lawsuit. We want you to focus on getting better. Working with our team gives you access to experience, resources, and a team committed to helping from the very first phone call. Schedule your free case consultation by calling us or filling out our online contact form.