Wrong Lane Car Accident Lawyers

When a driver is not where they are supposed to be on the road, it can result in a serious accident that leads to severe injuries. Other drivers have no way of anticipating another motorist being in a completely wrong place.

Even if liability for the accident is clear, you are still likely facing a drawn-out and intensive legal process before you can get all of the money you deserve from the responsible driver’s insurance company. The tenacious car accident lawyers at Nix Patterson will fight for your legal right to a full settlement when you have been injured in a car accident that was not your fault.

What Causes Wrong-Lane Driver Crashes?

Clearly, something has gone awry when a driver ends up in the wrong lane. This is something that should never happen under any circumstance. A driver has ordinarily been extremely careless when they cause a wrong-lane crash.

Distracted driving is usually the most common reason for a wrong-lane driver crash. Motorists may not see road signs that direct them to use a certain lane. They may veer out of their lane on a two-lane road without a median and end up in the path of oncoming traffic. Drivers often cause wrong-lane crashes when they are texting or looking down at their phones when they should have their eyes on the road.

Drunk driving is another cause of wrong-lane crashes. When a driver is under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances, they may not see signs or be able to read and understand them. The driver’s perceptions are altered, and they could end up in the wrong place, traveling at a high speed.

The design of the road, or the placement of road signs, is another reason for wrong-lane crashes. Drivers may not be able to see where they are supposed to go because a sign is either obscured, or it does not exist at all. A poor or counterintuitive design of ramps could also lead drivers into the wrong place.

Finally, drivers may also cause these accidents when they are unfamiliar with their surroundings. Motorists who are not from the area may not understand the traffic patterns, and they could make a big mistake when they are trying to figure out the direction of the roadway.

Liability in Wrong-Lane Accidents

Proving liability may be one of the easier tasks in a wrong-lane car accident. The driver who was in the wrong lane should be the one who is legally responsible for the crash. Usually, the driver in the wrong lane is apparent from the location in which the crash occurs.

Nonetheless, you would still need evidence that proves negligence to qualify for financial compensation. Hopefully, you were able to get pictures of the accident scene. If you were not able to take them yourself, hopefully someone else was able to take them for you. The pictures may show which driver was in the wrong lane at the time of the accident. In addition, the police officer who showed up at the scene and wrote the accident report may also reach their own conclusion about who was responsible, which the insurance companies would consider when determining liability.

Car Crashes from Wrong-Lane Car Accidents

The most common type of car accident that results from a driver being in the wrong lane is a head-on crash. Drivers may have nowhere to go and no ability to evade another car that has come into their lane. Head-on crashes are the singular most dangerous type of car accident. The amount of force that is unleashed on both cars in these accidents can cause severe injuries and even death. Head-on car accidents have the highest fatality rate of any type of crash.

Drivers in the wrong lane can also cause other motorists to lose control of their cars. When a driver tries to take evasive action, they could veer into other lanes and into the path of other vehicles. They could also be injured in head-on crashes or run off the road in a one-car crash.

Injuries Caused by Wrong-Lane Driver Accidents

Since wrong-lane accidents often result in a tremendous amount of force, it follows that they would cause serious injuries. You could suffer the following injuries in a wrong-lane car accident:

• Fractures and broken bones
• Internal injuries
• Lacerations and contusions
• Soft tissue injuries
• Burns
• Head and neck injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries

Any of these injuries can result in significant financial costs. Further, physical injuries are also accompanied by other losses that may be subjective in nature and do not involve finances.

How to Obtain Compensation in a Wrong-Lane Car Accident Case

You will always need to deal with the responsible driver’s insurance company in some form or fashion. Once their driver has been involved in an accident, the insurance company steps into the motorist’s shoes based on the terms of their contract with the policyholder.

Many injured motorists choose to begin by dealing directly with the responsible driver’s insurance company and filing a claim. This is an informal process that can keep your case out of court. However, informal does not necessarily mean easy. Insurance companies are known for making car accident claims harder, and they have even more of an incentive to do so when there is a large amount of money on the line, as there may be in wrong-lane car accident cases.

You always retain the right to file a lawsuit directly against the responsible driver in court. Again, you would still be dealing with the insurance company because they provide the attorney to defend the case. They would also be the ones who negotiate the settlement with you before your case goes to trial.

Either way, there is a high likelihood that your wrong-lane car accident case will settle before it ever sees the inside of a courtroom. Insurance companies often do not like to fight cases where there is compelling evidence of their policyholder’s liability, as there often is in wrong-lane car accident cases.

Compensation in Wrong-Lane Car Crashes

When you are able to prove that the other driver was to blame for a wrong-lane car accident, you would have a legal right to full compensation for your injuries. You would either file a claim for compensation with their insurance company, or you would sue them in court. Either way, you are dealing with an insurance company whose mission it is to keep you from getting the money you deserve.

Your compensation in a wrong-lane car accident is determined by both the severity of your injuries and how much money is available to pay for your damages. Your damages may include the following:

• Medical expenses
• Property damage
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Emotional distress

A car accident attorney would review your case and help you learn how much you may be able to ask for in a settlement. Without the knowledge of an attorney, you may be vulnerable to the insurance company’s tactics, which can include pressuring you to accept a settlement that pays you far less than you deserve.

Wrongful Death Lawsuits for Wrong-Lane Car Accidents

It’s a sobering reality, but the tragic result of a wrong-lane car accident is often the death of a loved one. Texas law allows families to file a wrongful death lawsuit when someone else’s actions took the life of a family member. Your personal injury is the sudden and traumatic loss of a family member.

If you can prove that the other driver was to blame for the crash, your family can recover the losses that you suffered when a loved one died. These can include:

• The wages that deceased family member would have earned had they been able to continue working
• The love and support that you received from the deceased family member
• Your family’s own trauma that comes from the sudden and tragic loss of a loved one
• The relationship that the deceased person had with their spouse

Wrongful death settlements can be large, given what a family has lost. Many of these damages are subjective in nature, so you need an attorney to help you estimate what you may be due in compensation.

Why You Need a Lawyer for a Wrong-Lane Car Accident

Proving liability is only part of the challenge that you will have in a wrong-lane car accident case. First, the insurance company may try to partially blame you in an attempt to reduce the amount of compensation they must pay. Your car accident lawyer would need to defend you from any wrongful allegations to preserve your right to receive full compensation for your injuries.

Then, your real fight may not be in proving liability for the accident. An insurance company May readily concede liability based on the facts of the case. The real battle would come when you are trying to secure enough financial compensation. Since your injuries are likely serious, you may be entitled to a substantial amount of money.

The insurance company reserves its right to try to keep your damages as low as possible. Your attorney would help you estimate the amount of damages that you have suffered, and they would fight for you to get every dollar you deserve.

Contact a Texas Wrong-Lane Car Accident Lawyer

The attorneys at Nix Patterson help injured car accident victims like you, no matter the size of your case. Insurance companies fear us because we have made them pay time and time again over the years. We can bring the same aggressive and diligent approach to your car accident case.

To speak with one of our car accident lawyers in a free initial consultation, you can call us today at 512-328-5333 or reach out to us online. There is no fee to you for our time and services whatsoever unless we are able to help you win your case by securing a settlement or jury award for you.