Head-On Collision Sends Three to Hospital near Loon Lake

March 20, 2019

A Dodge Neon crossed the center line of U.S. 395 and struck a Honda CRV injuring both drivers and a passenger of the CRV. All three were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital with significant injuries. According to the Washington State Patrol, the accident happened Monday, March 18, 2019, around 9 p.m. in the northbound lane of U.S. 39 north of Loon Lake.

WSP closed the road for several hours becoming free around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, and they said that drugs or alcohol may have been involved, but no charges have been filed pending an investigation.

Head-On Collision

If you’ve seen or been involved in a head-on collision you know how devastating they are. In fact, head-on collisions are some of the most horrific accidents putting motorists at high risk of death and serious injury.  According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, he head-on collision accounts for only 2 percent of all accidents in a year, yet they account for 10 percent of all fatalities.

Injuries Expected in a Head-On Collision

The reason head-on collisions are so violent is because of the nature of the impact.  The impact from the collision is made from the mass and momentum of both vehicles throwing the occupants around inside the vehicle. This causes certain kinds of injuries, some of the most common being:

  • Blunt Force Trauma: The vast majority of fatalities come from the impact of the person into whatever is in front of them.
  • Traumatic Brain Injury: Not always fatal and happens with the impact of the body at the time of collision.
  • Thoracic Spine Injury: (Whiplash) This injury is not necessarily fatal, but it often results in paralysis. It comes from the body being thrown forward where the spine in the neck is stretched and then violently compressed when thrown back into the seat.
  • Broken Bones: Skull fractures, facial bones, ribs and extremities such as wrists, ankles legs.

What Compensation Should I Expect?

If you’ve been injured in a head-on collision, then there’s a good chance you are suffering from serious injuries. Many people think that when the injures are so severe, the insurance company isn’t going to question the extent of my damages and will just pay me for my injuries. After all, what could they argue about?

The truth is, Insurance companies don’t make a profit if they pay out too much money, so it’s their job to keep as much as they can. Unfortunately, this means that injured people often don’t get the compensation they need or are allowed under the law. Washington State Law requires that the at-fault person in an accident compensate the injured for their monetary losses, and while many of these are obvious, there are damages are not.

Speak to Head-On Collision Attorney

Don’t speak to the insurance agent at least until you talk to an attorney. A knowledgeable and experienced attorney can evaluate your case and inform you of all the types of damages for which you are entitled to compensation. At Crary, Clark, Domanico, & Chuang, P.S., you don’t pay anything until you get paid for the insurance company.

We serve clients in Spokane, WA, Coeur d’Alene, ID, and surrounding communities and can go toe-to-toe with the insurance companies and their lawyers to get you fair compensation for your injuries. Call us at (509) 926 4900, or send us a message by clicking here.

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