Two Vehicle Collision on Elverta Rd. in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento auto accident lawyer. An accident was reported on Wednesday, July 18, between two vehicles along Elverta Road in Sacramento. The head-on collision resulted in major injuries to people in both vehicles who were hospitalized for further evaluation and treatment. Let’s take a look at the brutality of head-on collisions and the injuries commonly linked to such crashes.
What Happened?
According to authorities, the collision happened at about 5:45 in the morning and involved a pickup truck and white van. An injured woman, who was in the truck, was reported as being found unconscious. The van driver, who was also hospitalized, was a male. There is no further word as to his condition. It is unknown at this time whether drugs or alcohol contributed to the accident.
The Dangers of Head-On Collisions
Among the different types of car accidents, head-on collisions result in some of the worst injuries and highest number of fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, head-on crashes comprise only 2 percent of accidents. However, they account for 18 percent of all the fatalities.
Why Head-On Collisions Are More Dangerous
Head-on collisions that happen at high speeds cause serious injuries and more fatalities because of the nature of the accident. For example, two vehicles that strike each other head-on when both are moving at 55 mph increase the force of the impact. It is similar to crashing into a brick wall at high speed. All the forward movement of both of the vehicles comes to a sudden stop, and this results in extreme forces being exerted on the people inside, increasing the severity of injuries.
Seat Belts and Air Bags May Not Work Properly
While airbags should deploy in an accident, the force of a head-on collision may affect whether this safety device works at all. In addition, seat belts are only designed to work at or below the speed limit. The increased force of a head-on collision may make them useless. In some cases, the seat belts may be defective.
Injuries in Head-on Collisions
- Head injuries: Head injuries are more likely to be severe because of the force of a head-on collision, which can lead to a traumatic brain injury.
- Neck injuries: According to a report by the National Institutes of Health, neck injuries are common from a frontal impact accident.
- Lacerations and cuts: Because the front windshield and crushed metal of a front-end collision are common, it can lead to serious lacerations and cuts that require medical intervention. When those lacerations are bad enough, it can lead to scarring and disfigurement.
- Abdominal injuries: Approximately 50 percent of abdominal injuries occur in frontal impact crashes. Injuries to the liver and spleen are predominate. Often, bleeding from a laceration of the organ will occur but may take several hours to become apparent. Bruising on the abdomen is a common occurrence.
- Spinal injury: Spinal injuries are frequently a complication of a head-on crash. This can involve disc herniation or if the spinal nerve is damaged, paralysis.
- Chest trauma: Blunt trauma to the chest is one of the more frequent injuries. It can involve fractures of the ribs or trauma to the heart and lungs. Chest trauma is often due to seat belt restraints in high energy crashes, hitting the steering wheel or the chest and the airbag colliding.
- Lower extremity injury: The lower extremities absorb much of the force of a frontal impact crash. The result can be bone fractures, crush injuries to both the legs and feet as well as femur and knee damage.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento auto accident lawyer. If a loved one has been killed in a head-on collision or if you were hurt in such a crash, you need to turn to an experienced car accident lawyer. Please feel free to reach out to me for compassionate, free and friendly advice. You can call me at (916) 921-6400 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400.
I’ve helped Sacramento residents for the past 36 years obtain the compensation they deserve in wrongful death claims, all types of accidents and traumatic brain injuries.
I am a California member in the Million Dollar Advocates. This nationwide forum of trial lawyers only allows attorneys to join if they have won $1 million for a client through case settlements or verdicts.
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