Head-On Accident in Florin Area at Power Inn Road Intersection
One person suffered major injuries in a two-car accident in Sacramento on May 8. The head-on accident occurred in the Florin area at around 2:26 in the afternoon at the intersection of Power Inn Road and Elsie Avenue when two SUVs collided. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported that both vehicles sustained major front-end damage. Emergency responders with the Sacramento Fire Department were at the scene to assess trauma, and one person was transported to a hospital with major injuries. The incident is under investigation by the CHP to determine what happened to cause the head-on accident and assign fault.
Head-On Accident Causes
Head-on accidents occur less often than other types of collisions but are capable of causing major injuries or death. Some head-on accidents happen due to defective tires, problems with the steering function or brake failure. However, the vast majority occur because of driver error. Drunk driving is a common cause, as is distracted motoring.
Other causes are due to drowsy driving, unsafe passing or driver confusion. If the lanes are not clearly marked or are poorly maintained, a lawsuit can be filed against the government agency in charge of road construction. In the latter situation, filing the claim differs from other personal injury lawsuits. This difference is primarily due to a short filing time. If the claim is not filed within this time frame, it is likely the case will not be heard. Finally, some drivers may move into the oncoming lane to avoid hitting a person or animal in the road.
Statistics on Head-On Accidents
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 58 percent of all frontal collisions are fatal. For the most part, head-on accidents occur in rural areas due to the number of two-lane roads and generalized speeding. Thirteen percent of all fatal crashes involve a frontal collision. By contrast, only 7 percent of fatal accidents involve a head-on collision in urban areas.
Fault in a Head-On Collision
Determining how the accident happened and who is at fault in a head-on collision can be challenging. One of the main reasons for this is that the force of the accident can scatter the vehicles since the momentum of both cars makes for a considerable impact. Establishing fault is important in California in order to collect damages. Without doing this, the case may not be heard and damages will not be collected. Once the fault is established, the at-fault party’s insurer is required to pay compensation to the injured party. Despite being injured, it is the plaintiff’s duty to prove that the defendant was negligent. Doing it alone in such a case can be cumbersome. It has been shown that drivers who take the case into their own hands fare poorly compared to a plaintiff who has an experienced injury attorney at their side.
How to Prove Liability
In order to prove liability, your car accident lawyer will look for the presence of certain elements such as:
- Negligence: To prove negligence, your attorney must show that the person was not acting within an accepted parameter of care. This means that they are not acting in a way that supports safety for other motorists or pedestrians. In a head-on collision, it must be shown that the driver entered a lane traveling in the wrong direction or entered a highway using an off-ramp. Speeding is another type of driver error often seen with major injuries.
- Duty of care: A motorist has the obligation to drive in such a way that they ensure that other drivers are safe. When a motorist neglects this obligation, they are considered to be negligent. This behavior can include driving while intoxicated or being distracted.
- Causation: This element shows that the driver’s behavior caused the accident and the resulting minor or major injuries. As a result, the plaintiff suffers not only physical harm but accompanying financial costs. It is the financial loss that must be compensated in such cases.
Investigating a Head-On Collision
Our firm dispatches our trained investigative team to gather evidence, proving that the defendant was liable for the crash. They do this in a variety of ways, such as using accident reconstruction techniques and obtaining traffic surveillance videos. Our investigators also interview witnesses and review police reports for inaccuracies. Once all information is available, they hand it over to our legal team to build a strong case for our client.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. Don’t try to go it alone after a car accident. I am here to provide you with free and friendly advice. Call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 or reach out to me online.
I’ve provided assistance to numerous Sacramento residents in car accidents, wrongful deaths and traumatic injuries since 1982.
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Learn more about my practice by using the following links:
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