Head-on Crashes

Head-on collisions involve the front ends of two vehicles colliding. When a tractor trailer or big rig is involved in a head-on crash in East Tennessee, the results may be catastrophic or even deadly. Due to the immense size of a commercial vehicle, the real harm is likely to affect people in a passenger car, rather than the truck driver. At the Hartsoe Law Firm, Maryville truck accident attorney Mark Hartsoe has an accident reconstruction team on 24-hour standby that we can send out to determine the cause of a crash.

Common consequences of a head-on crash include spinal cord injuries, head trauma, paralysis, coma, lacerations, broken bones, burns, or even death. The faster that the vehicles were traveling, the more likely it is that the accident will result in one or more fatalities. Most head-on crashes occur on two-lane roads or rural roads. Often, they happen because one driver strayed into another driver's lane or because one driver turned the wrong way onto a one-way street.

Truck drivers who cause these accidents may have fallen asleep at the wheel, be under the influence of alcohol, fail to handle a curve appropriately, or be speeding. Sometimes a head-on crash is due to a failure to yield the right of way or a driver running a stop sign. When a driver fails to follow safety laws and causes injuries, the doctrine of negligence per se or negligence as a matter of law may apply, which may make it easier for a plaintiff to recover damages. However, even if negligence per se does not apply, a truck driver's failure to use reasonable care, such as by texting while driving or driving while fatigued, is powerful evidence of negligence.

The employer of a truck driver who acted negligently on the job may be held indirectly liable under a theory of respondeat superior. This is a theory of derivative liability, which means that it applies if the truck driver is found to have been negligent on the job. It does not depend on proving that the trucking company acted carelessly.

Moreover, employers of truck drivers may also be held liable under direct theories of negligence, such as negligent hiring, negligent supervision, or negligent retention. In Tennessee, these theories may be established by showing a trucking company's negligence and the knowledge of the company that a truck driver was not fit to operate a commercial vehicle.

Once liability is established, a plaintiff will need to present evidence on damages. The damages that a plaintiff may be able to recover include both monetary and nonmonetary items of loss. Damages may include lost wages, lost earning capacity, medical bills, medical mileage, vocational rehabilitation, household services, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.

If you were hurt as a result of a head-on crash, Maryville truck accident lawyer Mark Hartsoe can evaluate whether you have a case and provide aggressive advocacy. Call the Hartsoe Law Firm at 865-804-1011 or contact us via our online form to set up a free initial appointment. Hartsoe represents victims and families who need a motor vehicle collision attorney throughout East Tennessee, including in Blount, Knox, Monroe, Loudon, Jefferson, Grainger, Cocke, Campbell, Hamblen, Greene, Anderson, Cumberland, and Fentress Counties.