Wyandanch Crash Kills 1, Injures 3
On July 16, around 2:30 a.m. a fatal accident occurred between a 2016 Honda CRV and a 2021 Toyota Camry in Wyandanch. The CRV, driven by a 44-year-old man, was heading westbound on Long Island Avenue when it collided with the eastbound Camry driven by a 30-year-old woman. The 62-year-old passenger in the CRV was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital. The CRV driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The Camry driver suffered serious injuries, while her passenger, a 21-year-old woman, was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Head-on collisions and personal injury liability
In most jurisdictions, liability in head-on collisions is litigated as a negligence claim. This means that any driver found to have been negligent and who failed to exercise reasonable care on the road could be held responsible for the accident and resultant harm.
For example, head-on collisions are often caused by right-of-way violations. Drivers are expected to adhere to traffic rules and yield the right-of-way when required, especially when passing other vehicles.
Similarly, head-on accidents often occur when a vehicle crosses the centerline or median into oncoming traffic. Determining why a vehicle crossed the centerline is critical in ascertaining liability. It could be due to driver distraction, drowsiness, risky behavior, medical emergencies, poor road conditions or even faulty vehicle components like steering or brakes. In such cases, liability may extend beyond the drivers to include responsible parties like government agencies or maintenance contractors.
Gathering witness testimonies and analyzing forensic evidence is crucial in understanding how the accident occurred. Eyewitness accounts, skid marks, debris patterns, and data from vehicle event data recorders (EDRs) can help with accident reconstruction and determining liability.
If you or a loved one were harmed in a head-on collision, reach out to the experienced personal injury attorneys at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP for a consultation.