Wrong-Way Vehicle Accidents Can Cause the Most Serious Injuries

Every couple of days a new report of a wrong-way driving accident hits the news. Almost epidemic in some states, wrong-way motor vehicle accidents account for approximately 350 highway deaths in the US each year. According to the Federal Highway Administration, wrong way driving has been an ongoing problem since the beginning of the interstate system in the 1950s, with drunk drivers being the largest offenders.

A wrong-way accident occurs whenever a vehicle enters the lane of on-coming traffic and hits another vehicle, usually resulting in a head-on collision. With two vehicles heading toward each other and taking into consideration the speed that the two vehicles are probably traveling, the odds of either driver reacting quickly enough to avert a collision are slim. Consequently, as would be expected, a wrong-way accident usually results in serious injury.  In fact, just this past weekend a 44-year-old, Oregon man was killed in a wrong-way collision near Canyonville when the 26-year-old driver of an SUV collided head-on into the man’s Kia sedan.  Oregon Police reported that the driver of the Kia sedan was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident and the wrong-way driver was transported by ambulance to hospital with non-live-threatening injuries. The motor vehicle attorneys at DuBois Law Group, a Portland personal injury law firm, offer their condolences to the deceased victim’s family as well as the wrong way driver in this tragic event.

Typical Scenarios That Lead to Wrong-Way Vehicle Accidents

Most wrong-way vehicle accidents occur between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., with the highest concentration of these occurring in the early morning hours just after the close of business for bars. Often the result of a terrible mistake of judgment, wrong-way accidents typically involve the following scenarios.

• Entry of the wrong freeway entrance ramp. Probably the most common wrong-way offense, wrong-way ramp entrances occur when confused or tired motorists drivel onto the wrong entrance ramp only to find themselves driving in the opposite direction of oncoming traffic that is exiting or entering a freeway.
• Turning onto a one-way street in the wrong direction. An occurrence that happens frequently in urban locales as metropolitan roads and downtown streets of many cities tend to plan roadways to best get traffic through the city by alternating parallel one-way streets.
• Driving on the wrong side of the highway.  This instance can easily occur if you survive the wrong freeway entrance ramp scenario and find yourself driving against the flow of traffic with nowhere to turn around.

Contact the Motor Vehicle Attorneys at DuBois Law Group for a Free Consultation Concerning Your Accident Case

Unfortunately, one of the many tragedies that motor vehicle attorneys see daily is the results of those injured in head-on collisions that are due to a wrong-way accident like the one in Canyonville. Serious, life-changing injuries and sometimes death are often the result of any front-on vehicle accident, meaning that families’ lives are turned upside down as they try to deal with the situation. At DuBois Law Group, we assist those whose world has erupted in the aftermath an accident. As experienced motor vehicle attorneys, we offer clients legal representation for personal injury lawsuits and assistance with insurance filings and settlements.  If you or a loved one has sustained injury due to an accident of any kind, we invite you to contact us for a free consultation concerning your case. We’ll see that you get the compensation for your injuries that you are entitled to.