Delaware Auto Accident Attorneys Protect the Rights of Clients Injured in Wrong Way Collisions

More than 100 years of combined legal experience helping injured clients in Seaford, Wilmington and Newark, DE

Wrong-way accidents occur when a driver somehow enters a divided highway and heads into oncoming traffic that is traveling at high speeds. These accidents are quite rare, but they are deadly when they do occur. A team of graduate students at Southern Illinois University conducted a study of wrong way accidents on the nation’s highways. According to their report, which was compiled using 2013 data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System), the problem of wrong way crashes has been a problem since the divided highway has been in existence and continues to be a problem despite decades of attempts to address the issue. While the number of traffic fatalities in the United States has decreased by 4 percent, over the 8-year study period, the number of wrong-way drivers (WWD) has decreased by only 1.4 percent.

At the personal injury law firm of Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we bring more than 100 years of combined legal experience to the table when we take on your wrong-way accident case. Whether you received a severe injury, or you lost a loved one in a wrong-way car crash, we can make sure that you get the compensation you deserve for your losses. From our Delaware offices in Seaford, Newark, and Wilmington, we document your injuries, do battle with your insurance companies, and prepare for trial when necessary, to help you obtain the compensation you need to recover.

Causes of wrong way car crashes

Some of the most common causes of wrong way crashes include:

• Drunk and drugged driving
• Speeding
• Vehicle defects that cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle
• Poorly lit on and off ramps
• Lack of signage denoting a one-way road

The number of ramps on I-95, which runs through Wilmington and Newark, can increase your chances of having a wrong-way accident; the same can be said for I-295 and the Wilmington Turnpike. Toll roads can also increase your chances of a collision of another driver tries to make an illegal U-turn to get back on the road.

Injuries from wrong way crashes

Studies conducted by various states and compiled by the National Transportation Safety Board report that wrong way collisions have between a 12 and 27 times higher fatality rate than other highway accidents. (Delaware has had at least two this year, the most recent one leading to the death of a woman from Seaford.) Wrong way accidents account for only about three percent of accidents on divided highways, but they are far more likely to result in fatal and serious injuries than other types of accidents that occur on highways. Some of the injuries that occur in those vehicle occupants that survive a wrong way crash include:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Neck and spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis
• Broken bones and fractures
• Burn injuries
• Lacerations
• Damage to internal organs

Wrong way crashes are almost always head-on collisions, or offset frontal crashes, which are quite devastating at almost any speed. This is why these accidents are almost always deadly, and those who survive sustain catastrophic, life-altering injuries. Survivors of wrong way crashes often have permanent injuries that will require ongoing medical care for the remainder of their lives.

Help for victims of wrong way driver auto accidents

It can be incredibly terrifying to emerge from an accident in which you saw another vehicle coming right at you and crash into your vehicle head-on. You and your loved ones who were in the car are fortunate to have survived, but now you are dealing with mounting medical bills while you are unable to work. At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we work diligently towards obtaining the most compensation possible for your injuries. Our thorough investigation of the accident will help us to determine what caused the wrong way driver to cause the crash, and hold them responsible for your injuries and property loss.

Contact our trusted auto accident attorneys today to schedule a free consultation

The dedicated legal team at Silverman, McDonald & Friedman is proud to represent those who have been injured in a wrong way car crash. We take the time to investigate your accident and we protect your rights to fair compensation. You are welcome to schedule a free consultation with our auto accident attorneys today when you call us at 302-888-2900 or fill out our contact form. We serve clients throughout Delaware from our offices in Wilmington, Seaford, and Newark.