Wrong Way Driving Crashes

While all car accidents are potentially dangerous for those involved, certain types of collisions are particularly well-known for almost always have catastrophic results. Wrong way crashes, which occur when a vehicle traveling in a direction against the legal flow of traffic, collides with a vehicle traveling in the proper direction, for instance, tend to have especially devastating consequences. To learn more about your recovery options after this type of crash, please call one of our Fort Lauderdale auto accident lawyers today.

Why Are Wrong Way Collisions So Dangerous?

Although wrong way driving crashes make up only approximately one percent of the total number of U.S. traffic fatalities every year, these kinds of collisions, when they do occur, tend to have devastating repercussions. This is largely due to the fact that wrong way crashes typically involve head-on or opposite direction sideswipe crashes that occur at high speeds, which means that accident victims experience a tremendous impact.

Wrong way crashes also often involve multiple vehicles, meaning that accident victims must typically absorb not just one impact, but a number of collisions from varying directions. As a result, severe injuries, including head trauma, crushed and broken bones, and amputations are common in wrong way driving accidents. Collisions that involve head-on crashes are also more likely to result in engine fires, leaving victims who are trapped or incapacitated in their vehicles at risk of serious burns.

Wrong Way Accident Causes

Wrong way driving crashes are almost always the result of at least one driver’s negligence and while many people assume that these kinds of collisions occur most often when one driver illegally tries to pass another, the reality is that most wrong way driving crashes are the result of impaired driving. In fact, in a recent study, the National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that more than 60 percent of wrong way drivers were impaired by alcohol at the time of their crash. Of that number, 60 percent reported a BAC of .15 percent or above. Wrong way crashes can be attributed to driver fatigue, unfamiliarity with an area, or even improper highway design.

Recovery Options

Although the unfortunate reality is that wrong way driving accident victims rarely escape their collisions without sustaining some type of injury, they are also much more likely to recover compensation for their losses because negligence is generally easier to prove and the injuries suffered are almost always serious, which means that injured parties can hold at-fault drivers personally liable for their losses. This can prove crucial to recovery in a wrong way driving accident case, as the costs incurred by victims almost always exceed the limits of their insurance policies.

Call Our Fort Lauderdale Office to Set Up a Free Consultation

If you or a loved one were injured in a wrong way collision and need help recovering compensation for your medical bills, property damage, and lost wages, please contact the dedicated car accident attorneys at Boone & Davis to learn more about your legal options. You can reach a member of our legal team by calling our office at 954-566-9919 or via online message.

Resource:

safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/other_topics/wwd/

https://www.booneanddavislaw.com/the-most-dangerous-roads-in-florida/