Video Transcript

I’m Jamie Shaw with Carabin Shaw in San Antonio. How long do you actually have to file a car accident claim in Texas? Generally two years from the date of the crash. Miss that deadline and the court can throw your case out, no matter how strong it is. People think two years is plenty, so they wait. But evidence disappears, witnesses forget, and the insurance company uses that delay against you. And watch out — claims against a government vehicle can have deadlines as short as six months. Don’t guess. If you’ve been hurt in a San Antonio crash, call Carabin Shaw. Free consultation and you pay nothing unless we win. 210-222-2288.

Why Head-On Crashes on I-37 Are Particularly Dangerous

I-37 runs from downtown San Antonio south to Corpus Christi, passing through stretches of rural highway where speeds are high and median barriers are absent or minimal. Wrong-way drivers, fatigued commercial drivers, and impaired motorists are the leading causes of head-on crashes on this corridor. The San Antonio car accident attorneys at Carabin Shaw have handled head-on collision cases on I-37 involving commercial trucks, passenger vehicles, and wrong-way drivers who entered the highway at night. The TxDOT crash records for this corridor document the severity of these crashes consistently.

Wrong-Way Driver Crashes

Wrong-way crashes on Texas highways have increased over the past decade. The Texas Department of Transportation’s wrong-way driving data shows that the majority of wrong-way crashes involve impaired drivers, with alcohol as the most common factor. When a wrong-way driver causes a head-on crash, the liability is clear — but the damages are often catastrophic, and the at-fault driver’s insurance limits may be insufficient to cover them.

Injuries in Head-On Collisions

Head-on crashes at highway speeds produce injuries that are among the most severe in personal injury law. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis, multiple fractures, internal organ damage, and traumatic amputations are documented outcomes in these cases. The medical costs associated with a serious head-on crash can reach into the millions of dollars when long-term care, rehabilitation, and lost earning capacity are included. Building a case that captures the full lifetime cost of these injuries requires medical experts, vocational rehabilitation specialists, and economic analysts.

Survival and Long-Term Disability

Survivors of head-on crashes frequently face permanent disabilities that alter every aspect of their lives. Cognitive impairment from traumatic brain injury, chronic pain from spinal injuries, and the psychological impact of a near-fatal crash all factor into the non-economic damages calculation. Texas law allows recovery for pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and disfigurement — all of which are present in serious head-on crash cases.

Proving Liability in Head-On Crashes

In most head-on crashes, liability is straightforward — the driver who crossed the center line or entered the wrong lane caused the crash. The legal complexity arises in cases involving commercial vehicles, where the employer’s liability must be established alongside the driver’s, and in cases where the at-fault driver was impaired, where punitive damages may be available.

Commercial Vehicle Head-On Crashes

When a commercial truck crosses the center line and causes a head-on crash, the investigation must cover the driver’s hours-of-service records, the truck’s maintenance history, the employer’s hiring and training practices, and any electronic logging device data. Federal regulations impose specific duties on commercial carriers, and violations of those regulations are evidence of negligence per se.

Wrongful Death Claims After Head-On Crashes

Head-on crashes at highway speeds are frequently fatal. When a family member is killed in a head-on collision, the surviving family members have the right to bring a wrongful death claim under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 71. Recoverable damages include the economic value of the deceased’s future earnings, the loss of companionship and guidance, and the mental anguish of the surviving family members. These cases require immediate action to preserve evidence and identify all liable parties.

Carabin Shaw has handled head-on collision cases across San Antonio, Bexar County, and the I-37 corridor for over three decades. The firm takes cases on a contingency basis — no fee unless the case is won. Call (800) 862-1260 to speak with an attorney about what happened.