Wrong-way accidents are among the most jarring and catastrophic accidents in which one can be involved. As the name suggests, these accidents occur when one car is traveling the wrong way on a road or highway and collides with another driver who was traveling in the correct direction. Often, these accidents occur on highways and at high speeds, resulting in a fatal collision. Part of the reason why these accidents are so likely to be deadly is the physics of the accident; when both cars are traveling at high speeds toward each other, the force is doubled upon impact, making it essentially twice as dangerous as a standard collision. This is particularly likely to be fatal for drivers and front-seat passengers. Survivors may require extensive medical care and rehabilitation that can easily exceed their insurance policy’s maximum limits. For this reason, many victims of wrong-way accidents find that the only way to financially recover and afford the care that they need is to bring a personal injury lawsuit.

Why Bring a Personal Injury Lawsuit After a Wrong-Way Accident?

The primary reason to bring a personal injury lawsuit is because you need to be made financially whole after an accident that was not your fault. If you were going the correct direction and were involved in a wrong-way accident, it is clear that the accident was not your fault. Generally, one of the challenges in a personal injury case is establishing negligence. However, wrong-way accidents would be highly unlikely to occur in the absence of negligence. In fact, experts agree that nearly all wrong-way accidents are avoidable. And in most wrong-way accidents, this negligence goes beyond reckless driving. According to a new study, over 60% of all wrong-way drivers involved in fatal collisions were intoxicated above the legal limit of .08 at the time. Additionally, another 36% of drivers had some amount of alcohol in their system below the legal limit. This means that in nearly 100% of fatal wrong-way collisions, alcohol was a factor. This is relevant because it establishes negligence by showing that the driver breached their duty of reasonable care to other drivers by operating a vehicle while intoxicated. This will help you easily succeed in bringing a personal injury claim, which will allow you to recover for all damages caused by the car accident, including medical expenses and lost wages, in addition to compensation for pain and suffering. In some cases, punitive damages may also be appropriate.

Talk to HAWM Law

If you or a loved one has been injured or even killed in a serious Florida car accident that was not your fault, you do not have to shoulder the burden alone. The experienced personal injury attorneys at HAWM Law are ready to fight to hold the responsible party accountable for their actions and get you the maximum amount of compensation to which you are entitled. Contact HAWM Law today to schedule a consultation and find out how we can help you get the support and compensation that you need to move forward with your life.