Few things are more alarming than seeing headlights approaching you and realizing the other driver is in your traffic lane. These wrong-way crashes can change your life forever. They frequently result in head-on collisions, leaving victims with severe injuries. If you suffered injuries in a wrong-way crash in North Carolina, you could be entitled to financial compensation.
The Durham, NC, car accident lawyers at Kreger Brodish LLP can help. Our lawyers have decades of experience successfully recovering top-dollar settlements and verdicts for our clients. While you focus on your recovery, our legal team can investigate the accident, collect evidence to prove liability, and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf. We prepare every case like it is going to trial.
We aim to maximize your compensation so you have the resources to rebuild your life. Call or contact us today for a free consultation with a proven car crash attorney.
Understanding Wrong-Way Driving Accidents
Wrong-way driving accidents often occur when drivers or other parties make errors due to negligence or an intentional act. Sometimes, government agencies that implement dangerous road designs are responsible.
Common causes of wrong-way crashes in North Carolina include:
- Impaired driving – Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs severely affects a driver’s judgment, reflexes, and awareness of road signs and traffic signals. Police often discover that wrong-way drivers were intoxicated at the scene of a wrong-way accident.
- Distracted driving – Inattentiveness behind the wheel due to cell phone use, eating, changing radio stations, or talking to passengers can easily cause drivers to miss wrong-way warning signs before entering the roadway.
- Driver confusion – Unclear road design, inadequate lighting or signage, and inexperience in unfamiliar areas increase the likelihood of drivers entering an exit ramp and going the wrong way by mistake. Elderly motorists may be particularly vulnerable to these errors.
- Reckless driving – Driver carelessness, like speeding, passing illegally, or willfully ignoring traffic signs and signals, can lead to wrong-way collisions.
- Drowsy driving – Like alcohol, fatigue impairs a driver’s ability to handle a car safely. Sleepy drivers may drift across road lines or misinterpret signs and markings, with potentially deadly consequences.
Common Injuries in Wrong-Way Auto Accidents
Accident victims from wrong-way crashes often sustain severe injuries due to the violent force of a head-on collision, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) – A direct blow to the head or the forces stemming from a collision can cause severe brain trauma. Motorists may suffer direct hits by striking the dashboard or window. The damage can also occur internally if the brain collides with the skull. A TBI can cause life-threatening bleeding, bruising, and long-term physical and cognitive impairments.
- Spinal cord injuries – Damage to the spinal cord can lead to paralysis, loss of sensation, and loss of motor function below the injury site.
- Internal injuries – Wrong-way collisions frequently cause internal bleeding, ruptured organs, and other serious internal injuries.
- Bone fractures – The force of a wrong-way car accident commonly results in broken bones, especially in the legs, arms, ribs, and pelvis.
- Lacerations – Shattered glass and loose objects in the cabin can cause deep cuts, disfiguring scars, and severed limbs.
- Emotional trauma – Survivors of wrong-way accidents may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions.
The cost of medical treatment for catastrophic injuries adds up quickly, sometimes reaching the millions over the course of a victim’s lifetime. After reviewing the facts, a Durham car accident lawyer can provide an estimate of what your case may be worth.
Who is Liable for a Wrong-Way Driving Crash?
In most cases, the driver traveling the wrong way bears liability for causing a crash. Their reckless or negligent actions violated traffic laws and created a hazardous situation.
However, other parties could share the blame as well. If the wrong-way driver was impaired, then a bar, restaurant, or social host who served them alcohol could also face liability claims. Government entities are sometimes found negligent for inadequate signage, lighting, or poor road maintenance, which increases the risk of wrong-way driving.
It’s crucial to consult a skilled highway accident lawyer to determine all negligent parties and hold them accountable for the wrong-way crash that injured you. North Carolina’s negligence laws are some of the harshest in the nation, eliminating your right to compensation if you are found even one percent responsible for the accident. You don’t want to miss out on the money you deserve based on a legal technicality.
How Can Our Durham Car Accident Lawyers Help?
The personal injury attorneys at Kreger Brodish LLP have extensive experience helping car accident victims recover fair compensation after wrong-way crashes. Our team will launch a comprehensive investigation and gather vital evidence to support your injury claim.
Next, we’ll calculate the total value of losses you’ve suffered, including current and future medical expenses, lost wages, loss of earning potential, pain and suffering, and more.
We’ll then pursue maximum compensation by filing claims against all responsible parties. Our attorneys are firm negotiators and will work with the insurance company to ensure you receive a fair settlement offer. If the other side refuses to treat your case fairly, we’re fully prepared to fight to file a car accident lawsuit and take your case to trial.
Throughout the process, you’ll receive our unwavering support and commitment. You can focus on healing while we manage your wrong-way car accident case.
Preventative Measures and Safety Tips
If you encounter a driver going the wrong way in North Carolina, remain calm and take these precautions:
- Slow down and pull over to the shoulder as soon as safely possible.
- Turn on your hazard lights to alert other drivers.
- Call 911 immediately to report the wrong-way driver’s location, direction, and description.
- Avoid making sudden lane changes or stopping in the travel lanes.
- Once stopped, turn your steering wheel towards the shoulder in case of impact.
- Wait for the police to arrive before proceeding.
Recovery and Compensation
Our attorneys can’t tell you precisely how much your case is worth until we investigate the crash and evaluate the full extent of your losses. However, we will pursue compensation for all your eligible losses under North Carolina law, including money for your:
- Past and future medical needs
- Lost income and reduced future earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Damaged personal property
One vital fact to note is that you have a limited window to take legal action after a wrong-way car accident. According to North Carolina law, you must file a personal injury lawsuit within three years of the crash or lose your right to compensation. Acting quickly after a collision gives you a much stronger chance of recovering full compensation for your injuries.
Keep in mind that legal claims against the government have a much shorter timeline. You must notify the government entity of your intent to file a personal injury claim within 180 days of the accident. It’s vital to consult an attorney for help identifying the liable agency and filing the notice properly.
Contact Our Durham, NC Car Accident Attorneys for Help
Kreger Brodish LLP understands the catastrophic toll of wrong-way crashes and wants to help you recover the resources you need to put your life back together. Call us today or reach out online for a free consultation with a car accident attorney in Durham, NC.
