Head On Car Crash Kills One Injures Four In Durham North Carolina

A woman from Person County was killed last week after her car crossed the center line into oncoming traffic. She collided with a truck carrying a teenage driver and three passengers who were taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Authorities closed the North Carolina road for several hours to investigate, but the cause of the crash remained unknown at the time of the reporting.

Head on collisions, like the one described above are terrifying and can cause substantial injuries to those affected, especially at high speeds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 17.3% of traumatic brain injuries occur as the result of motor vehicle crashes and traffic-related incidents. Motor vehicle crashes that cause traumatic brain injury (TBI) also have the highest percentage of deaths that occur as a result of traumatic brain injury, making up 31.8% of TBI deaths.

The medical costs associated with severe injuries like TBI can add up very quickly. The need to cover all related costs like co-pays, lost wages, and traveling to and from doctor appointments can become overwhelming. Car insurance companies do not always pay what they should under the plan you obtained, and certainly not usually what is needed. In North Carolina you can file a claim with the other motorist’s insurance company or sue the driver in a personal injury action. All motorists are required to drive safely and follow the laws of the state when operating a vehicle. If it can be shown that someone failed in their duty to drive safely, the motorist at fault can be liable for damages, or costs, if their negligence led to the injury-causing accident.

If a claim is filed with the at-fault motorist’s insurance company, but the policy does not cover the amount of damages, the injured may then turn to their own car insurance policy to cover the remainder. This is Underinsured Motorist coverage, or UIM. For UIM coverage to apply, the amount of damage must be shown to exceed the other motorist’s policy limits and that the injured’s policy limit exceeds the at-fault party’s coverage limits. Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage applies when the at-fault driver has no insurance at all, and covers bodily injury and property damage. Both types of coverage apply when the accident is a hit and run or the injured was a pedestrian hit by a car.

The experienced North Carolina head-on car accident attorneys at Auger & Auger know how to aggressively negotiate and litigate head-on collisions and hit-and-run accidents. They know that insurance companies are reluctant to pay what they should to the injured. Herbert and Arlene Auger have several years of personal injury experience and know the importance of getting the compensation you deserve. If you have been injured and would like to speak to one of our attorneys, call today for a free, confidential consultation at (888) 487-0835.

Related Blog Posts:

Pedestrians and Cyclists Are No Match For Any Kind of Vehicle, North Carolina Car Accident Attorney Blog, August 10, 2012

What You Should Know About Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Insurance Coverage, North Carolina Car Accident Attorney Blog, July 27, 2012