Head-On collisions between vehicles often result in the most devastating outcomes in accidents. They can prove dangerous for the occupants involved because the speeds of both cars are added to the impact force. Adding a driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol to the equation can multiply the risk of severe injury by several times more.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that about one-third of all fatal crashes involve alcohol-impaired drivers. They also found a link between certain times of the night and when the most collisions are reported. In a single year, two-thirds of fatal crashes involving a drunk driver occurred between midnight and 3 a.m.
The speeds involved in a collision can rise dramatically when a drunk driver, who may have slowed reaction times, fails to hit the brakes to reduce the force of an impact. The blunt force trauma suffered by victims can lead to a major injury and even permanent disability.
Teens Injured in New Albany After Head-On Collision
Two 17-year-olds were rushed to the hospital after a two-car collision in New Albany, Indiana over the weekend. WDRB-TV reported the accident happened on Charlestown Road near Sunset Drive early Sunday morning on September 6, 2020.
Indiana State Police responded to the crash around 1:50 a.m. They say a Black Buick Regal hit a Honda Civic head-on. The 17-year-old driver of the Honda was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. A 17-year-old passenger was also transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The teens are from Clark County, Indiana.
After the 29-year-old driver of the Buick was checked out by medics, he was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated (OWI). Drug and alcohol tests are pending.
Compensation After an OWI Accident
An accident involving a driver Operating While Impaired can leave victims with life-threatening injuries and with difficult, expensive recoveries in front of them. The victims were hurt in a collision clearly caused by someone choosing to break the law and put others in harm’s way.
The injured may sometimes feel like they are facing the costs of medical bills and missed time from work by themselves after an accident that wasn’t their fault. It may be necessary to file a claim for damages against the at-fault driver to get help with those bills and for any costs that pop up in the future relating to recovery.
A claim for damages involving personal injury in Indiana can be filed for up to two years from the date of the accident. This is a civil lawsuit that can move forward even if the responsible driver is still involved in criminal proceedings involving his or her OWI charge. If successful, a claim for damages can earn a reward to help victims cover ambulance and hospital bills and any costs for rehabilitation. It can also provide money to replace paychecks lost after missing time at work.
Contact a New Albany Auto Accident Attorney
If you are injured in an accident caused by a reckless driver anywhere in Indiana or Kentucky please contact a local attorney with experience fighting for the victims in these cases. An attorney can help you get compensation for your physical, emotional, and financial hardships in the wake of a tragic collision.
Talk to a New Albany Car Accident Attorney you can trust to be on your side and get you what is yours under the law. The attorneys at Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, have that knowledge and a combined 100 years’ experience in helping clients get the compensation they’ll need to make a full recovery. To discuss your case, contact Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC today, by clicking here to contact them online.
