On Saturday, February 8, 2014, a 23-year-old woman was driving the wrong-way, traveling south in the northbound lane of Highway 49, when she collided with two young friends who were returning to the Perkinston campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. The accident happened around 1:30 AM and the cause of the accident was still under investigation a couple of weeks after it occurred. The collision resulted in the death of the woman who was driving the wrong-way in traffic and caused the two young college students to be hospitalized. One young woman suffered serious injuries, including a broken spine, severe injuries to the appendix and spleen requiring their removal, broken bones, and damage to the diaphragm. The spinal cord damage resulted in a loss of feeling in her legs, according to a news report.
This accident is a tragic reminder of the devastating outcome of a wrong-way collision. Many times, these collisions happen at night, where a number of factors could lead to a terrible crash. Wrong-way accidents may be the result of driver confusion or fatigue, driving under the influence, unsafe passing, or distracted driving. Regardless of the cause of the accident, the outcome often is severe injuries or death for the involved parties. The impact forces of two vehicles traveling towards each other at a high rate of speed means that the damage to the vehicles will be severe. In turn, this results in catastrophic harm to the driver and passengers.
In the collision in Saucier, Mississippi, the victims suffered terrible injuries, including a spinal injury that could alter the victim’s life forever. Wrong-way collisions often lead to serious injuries, including:
- Crush injuries leading to organ failure;
- Traumatic brain injuries;
- Spinal cord damage, resulting in paralysis;
- Broken and fractured bones;
- Severe abrasions and lacerations, causing permanent disfigurement;
- Nerve damage;
- Serious burns from fires cause by the crash;
- Whiplash and whiplash associated disorders; and
- Death.
One of the reasons that wrong-way collisions are so serious for the victims involved in the accidents is that the front-end impact causes the hood of the car to crumple and leads to the destruction of the structural integrity of the vehicle. In many accidents like this, the engine compartment travels forcibly into the front area of the interior compartment. Although only two percent (2%) of traffic accidents involve front-end impacts, accidents like this lead to approximately ten percent (10%) of fatalities relating to traffic crashes due to the severity of the impact.
Victims of wrong-way collisions may face long hospital stays, intensive rehabilitation, an inability to pursue the career that they intended prior to the accident, and a need for assistance with even the most basic of tasks. Frequently, a victim may need to rely on family members to get them from one place to another, including transporting them to the many medical appointments that are necessary as part of the recovery process. If these victims are able to return to their homes, they may need modifications to the structure of the residence, including the widening of doorways to accommodate wheelchairs, the lowering of counter heights, the installation of ramps, and the relocation of bedrooms. Specialized vehicles might have to be purchased.
When you or a loved one is seriously injured as the result of a wrong-way crash, it might be difficult to focus on everything that needs to be done merely to get through the day, but it is important to get the right team working on your behalf to protect you or your family member’s legal rights. The physical, emotional, and financial impacts of a serious accident are profound and the experienced Mississippi Personal Injury Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC have the skill and dedication to get you the justice that you deserve. We are ready to sit down and discuss what happened to you and determine your legal options during a free initial consultation. Call us at (800) 707-9577 in order to schedule an appointment. You do not pay any legal fees unless we recover money for you.