San Antonio Head-on Collision Lawyer

Common Injuries from San Antonio Head-on Collision

Head-on collisions bring with them a much higher risk for injuries, especially along the congested highways that cut through San Antonio.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

With head-on collisions, traumatic brain injuries are the most serious of potential injuries. Traumatic brain injuries happen when the head comes into contact with a severe external force, which causes damage to the brain. The CDC has found that car accidents are the third leading cause of traumatic brain injury-related death. Younger occupants of a vehicle are at an even higher risk, not only for traumatic brain injuries but also for death relating to those injuries. Brain injuries can span in terms of severity from mild to severe and permanent that causes changes to cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and physical abilities.

Spinal/Back Injuries

Spinal injuries are among the most severe injuries sustained in head-on collisions, which can result in lifelong pain, changes to strength or sensation, and paralysis. Back injuries can come in many forms and can extend to the neck in the way of whiplash. Whiplash, in particular, is one of the primary injuries that go unnoticed until after the accident. It can manifest weeks, if not months, after the accident in question.

Broken bones

Broken bones, in addition to head injuries or spinal injuries, result when the impact of the head-on collision forces the body against some part of the car. This could be the side door, the front of the vehicle, or even being thrown from the car. With head-on collisions, it’s quite common to sustain multiple bone breaks at the same time.

Lacerations/Burns

Lacerations and burns are commonly associated with head-on collisions. After serious accidents, wounds, lacerations, or breaks could be severe enough that amputation is required. Such accidents and subsequent injuries can be debilitating and permanently impact daily abilities to get around, take care of oneself, even work.

If you sustained any of these injuries, you might be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering as well as your medical bills. It is essential to speak with an attorney about filing a claim or a lawsuit to collect the maximum that you may be owed.

What’s the Difference Between a Claim and a Lawsuit?

If you are involved in a head-on collision in San Antonio, the first step is to file a claim. A claim is filed with the insurance company for the other driver or, if the other driver is uninsured, for example, with your insurance company. This is the first step in getting a settlement for damages that you sustained. This could be either to your car, your physical person, or both.

When you file a claim, insurance companies have 15 business days to approve or deny that claim. If they can prove they need the extra time, they can apply for an extension of up to 45 days.

If the insurance company denies the claim, meaning they will not approve the settlement, you have to move on to the next phase, which is where the lawsuit comes into play. In most situations the lawsuit begins when you file your suit in court, explaining to a San Antonio judge what happened and what your side of the story is. Within the next two months, the other party or parties involved do the same by responding to your side of the story with theirs. This initiates the discovery phase, where both sides go about collecting evidence to substantiate their claims a process that can take between 12 and 15 months. During this time the other party or parties can choose to make a settlement or an offer that you can accept; however, if they don’t, the case could go to trial. Most of the time, cases never make it to trial.

Similarly, if you are involved in a head-on collision and the other party does not have insurance, you might have to file a lawsuit against the individual company. If the accident took place with a semi-truck, the same steps would be followed but the suit might be filed against the trucking company.

How Long Do I Have to File?

In San Antonio, you have two years from the time of the accident to file. However, if you are filing a claim against a public entity, you have between 60 days and 90 days from the accident. In this case, a public entity might include a city bus.

There are some exceptions to this statute of limitations. For example, if you did not discover the injuries from your head-on car accident until a few weeks after the accident, the two-year statute of limitations deadline would not begin until the date the injuries were officially discovered. Because there are a few other exceptions, it’s essential to speak with a San Antonio head-on collision attorney as soon as possible even if you decide to wait before you file.

How Long Does It Take to Settle?

The length of time it takes for a case to settle is based upon the individual circumstances about that case. For example, if another driver is 100% at fault or very nearly 100% at fault, the insurance company might offer a settlement immediately. They will still try to give you the lowest possible settlement, which is why having an attorney will help you to maximize the amount you receive.