Head-On Crashes Often Devastating

Head-on collisions are among the most catastrophic accidents that personal injury attorneys in the State of Washington are familiar with. Automobile manufacturers have worked to make safety improvements, but there is no way to eliminate the risk of serious injury when vehicles collide head on.

On Nov. 30, two young men lost their lives in a head-on collision involving a pickup truck going the wrong way on Route 395 in southeastern Washington, according to a report in the Seattle Times. Both the 24-year-old pickup driver and the 27-year-old driver of a car he struck were killed.

The crash remained under investigation, so it was not immediately clear why the driver of the pickup was traveling the wrong way. However, here are some common reasons for head-on collisions:

  • Distracted driving — A driver who is distracted by a cellphone, a passenger, or something else may drift into an oncoming lane of traffic and cause a head-on collision.
  • Drowsy driving — Drowsy driving is a serious, and growing, problem on the nation’s highways. A driver who nods off at the wheel can easily end up in oncoming traffic in the blink of an eye.
  • Drug/alcohol impairment — A driver who is impaired as a result of alcohol or drugs (either legal or illegal), can easily cross the center line.

Anyone who suffers an injury or loss because of another driver’s negligence may be entitled to compensation. As Washington State car accident attorneys know, it takes only a split second for an act of negligence to result in a collision and injuries that forever change the lives of entire families.