A Closer Look at Car Accidents in Kansas - We Investigate Rear-End, Head-On, Rollover Accidents and More

At Warner Law Offices, our experienced attorneys know that innocent people get injured in all types of car accidents. Some causes of car accidents are more common than others in Wichita and throughout Kansas. But many different types of accidents exist, each of which present unique injuries and legal issues to accident victims.

Whether you're injured in a major highway crash on Interstate 35 or a rear-end accident around the corner from your home, our Wichita car accident lawyers are ready to help. A car accident can lead to an inability to work, skyrocketing medical bills, pain and suffering, or the wrongful death of a loved one. When you've done nothing wrong to cause your accident, you shouldn't have to deal with the aftermath alone.

Warner Law Offices is familiar with some of the most common types of car accidents in Kansas:

What to Do If Rear-Ended by a Driver
When Cars Collide Head-On
Accidents on Interstates and Major Roadways
Crashes Resulting in Vehicle Rollovers
When Drivers Flee the Scene
Vehicles Colliding in Intersections

What to Do If Rear-Ended by a Driver

From Wichita's crowded rush hour traffic to construction zones on Interstates 35, 135 and 235, every driver who has ever experienced stop-and-go traffic understands how important it is to keep your eyes on the vehicle ahead of you. Traffic conditions can change in a flash. Unfortunately, many drivers will take risks such as texting and driving or driving too fast for traffic conditions - dangerous choices that can lead to a devastating rear-end crash.

A rear-end crash can cause injuries even at slow speeds. That's why it's so important knowing what to do in the days, weeks and months following a rear-end accident. Rear-end crashes are often written off as "minor" by insurance companies. They may try to downplay the severity of your injuries. In some cases, they may even try to say you're at fault for the accident. Don't fall for their tactics. In almost all cases, the driver who is rear-ended has done nothing wrong. The driver of the vehicle that struck your car is almost always at fault in such accidents.

Warner Law Offices recommends taking the following steps after a rear-end accident to protect your legal rights:

Exchange information with all drivers involved in the crash. Having the at-fault driver's contact and insurance information is critical to filing a claim in Kansas. If the driver who hit you lacks insurance coverage, you may be able to collect compensation from your own insurance company's uninsured motorist policy. See our page "filing an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim."
Visit an emergency room or doctor immediately. Injuries may take days or weeks to appear after an accident. Prompt medical treatment not only may prevent injuries from becoming more serious, but also provide important medical documentation necessary to file a claim.
Contact a lawyer. Even if you've done nothing wrong, you may find that the driver who hit you - and his or her insurance company - may try to deny responsibility for your accident. A lawyer can help hold reckless drivers accountable and obtain the compensation you deserve.

Our experienced attorneys understand that rear-end accidents are almost always the fault of the driver who strikes the vehicle ahead. If you're stopped at an intersection or in a construction zone and rear-ended, you may be able to pursue a claim against the driver who hit you. Sometimes, a victim of a rear-end accident may have been hit by a texting driver or it may be an accident involving a drunk driver. We know how to collect the right evidence to support your claim. We can interview witnesses and examine police reports. Don't take chances. Let us help you today.

Head-on crashes are among the most serious and potentially deadly types of accidents on the road in Wichita and throughout Kansas. When two vehicles collide into each other with such speed and force, the damage and injuries to vehicle occupants can be severe. In many cases, passengers and drivers sustain traumatic head injuries, paralysis and other permanent injuries. A loved one may even suffer a wrongful death due to injuries sustained in the accident.

Warner Law Offices understands that while no two head-on crashes are alike, many such accidents share similar characteristics and causes. Sometimes, a motorist may drive into oncoming traffic due to inattention, such as when a driver is texting and driving or talking on a cell phone. In other instances, a drunk driver may enter a highway such as I-35 or I-135 on an exit ramp or drive down the wrong side of a divided highway.

Severe injuries in head-on collisions may include:

Head injury
Spinal cord damage
Internal injuries
Amputation
Burn injuries

Injuries from head-on crashes can result in significant medical bills due to ambulance and emergency room fees and costs of future medical care. A serious accident may result in lost time at work. But the other driver's insurance company may try to deny or delay your claim. You may feel overwhelmed trying to navigate the red tape of the insurance company. They don't intimidate us. An experienced lawyer at Warner Law Offices can help you fight for the full compensation you are entitled to receive under Kansas law.

Roads such as the Kansas Turnpike, I-235, U.S Route 81 and U.S. Route 400 are used by hundreds of thousands of residents and commuters each week in Wichita. But no matter which highway you take - or how many times you've been on Kansas's many interstates and major roadways - there are collisions. Whether it's a vehicle rollover on I-35 near Andover or rear-ender on U.S. 400 at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, accidents that occur at highway speeds can lead to devastating injuries in a matter of seconds.

Collisions involving speed on highways often result in some of the most serious cases seen at Warner Law Offices. But accidents on interstates and highways can have a number of causes. The driver who hit your vehicle may have been drunk. He or she may have been distracted by a cell phone or texting while driving. In some instances, a defective vehicle component such as a tire or steering column may fail, resulting in an accident involving multiple vehicles.

No matter the reason why your highway accident occurred, we're prepared to thoroughly investigate your case. Whether it's interviewing witnesses, reviewing accident reports or medical records, the legal team at Warner Law Offices leaves no stone unturned in pursuit of justice for client. We know how to determine the long-term cost of your accident, and we'll take on big insurance companies to make sure you receive the compensation you need to get life back on track.

Rollover accidents are some of the most serious crashes that take place on Kansas roads and highways. That's because people inside often sustain catastrophic injuries or do not survive the accident at all. While a drunk or distracted driver may swerve into your lane and cause you to lose control of your vehicle to avoid a crash, many of these accidents are not the result of driver error. Often, poor manufacturing is to blame for these defective vehicles.

Rollover accidents typically involve sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) and small- to medium-size trucks. Experts believe the primary reason SUVs are prone to rolling over is due to their narrow wheel track and a higher center of gravity than smaller passenger vehicles. That means swift emergency actions can easily throw an SUV off balance, causing drivers to lose control and go into a potentially fatal rollover.

At Warner Law Offices, we understand how difficult life may become after a rollover accident. Some insurance companies and car manufacturers may mislead accident victims to believe that they do not need an attorney to recover monetary damages. They might even try to say that you somehow caused the accident. Keep in mind: Insurance companies are in the business of making profits. To reach their goals, they often put profits before people. They will try to keep money out of your pocket and in theirs. These companies are often looking out for their own best interests, not yours.

Imagine you're driving in the Wichita area. You slow down as you approach a red light or stop sign. Perhaps you're merging onto Interstate 35 or you're simply backing out of your driveway. Suddenly, another car crashes into your vehicle. Before you've realized what's happened, the other driver flees the scene of the accident. These accidents - called hit-and-run accidents - happen often in Wichita and throughout Kansas. They can happen to anyone on the road, from pedestrians and bicyclists to motorcycle riders and passengers.

At Warner Law Offices, we understand that drivers may choose to flee the scene of an accident for many reasons. Sometimes, hit and run drivers choose not to stop at the scene of an accident because they don't have a driver's license or they don't have insurance, resulting in uninsured or underinsured driver accidents. Drunk driving accidents also often result in hit and run accidents because the driver doesn't want to be caught driving under the influence of alcohol.

We recommend taking the following steps after being involved in a hit and run accident:

Try to make an identification of the driver and car, including plate number and vehicle.
Don't attempt to stop the hit-and-run driver. He or she may be dangerous.
Contact the police and provide as many details as possible about the hit-and-run driver.
Obtain contact information from any potential witnesses.
If you have a camera, take pictures of your car and the accident scene.
Call an experienced attorney right away.

Hit and run accidents can be some of the most frustrating ones to deal with. You know the other driver caused the accident. But knowing what to do can be difficult after they've chosen to flee the scene of the accident without exchanging insurance information. In Kansas, Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Protection is required. With this type of coverage, you can get paid by your own insurance company if you in an accident caused by a hit-and-run motorist (or if the other driver did not have insurance). The coverage pays you and your passengers for medical, rehabilitation and funeral costs and also pays settlements of lawsuits. We can look at your insurance coverage and the circumstances of your accident and find the best course of action.

Busy intersections in Kansas cities such as Wichita can often be the scene of serious car accidents. Drivers who pay more attention to their cell phone or text while driving may fail to notice a traffic light has changed from green to red. Speeding drivers might try to race through an intersection before a traffic signal changes. These careless decisions can often result in serious accidents ranging from T-bone accidents to head-on collisions.

Among the most common types of accidents at Wichita intersections involve one vehicle hitting another on its side. Known as side-impact or broadside collisions, these accidents occur when the front or rear-end of one vehicle collides with the side of another. Depending on the speed of impact and size and weight of vehicles involved, a T-bone accident can cause the side of one vehicle to crush inward and lead to severe, potentially fatal injuries.

Warner Law Offices understands how difficult life can become after a T-bone accident in Kansas. The accident may have resulted in serious injuries or even the loss of a loved one. Medical bills and lost wages from missing work add up fast. Yet determining fault in a side-impact collision can be extremely difficult. The driver who caused your accident may deny wrongdoing. His or her insurance company may try to say you did something wrong. That's not fair.

A Wichita car accident lawyer can help cut through the confusion and help fight for the compensation you need for medical and rehabilitation expenses as well as lost wages and other possible damages. Warner Law Offices knows how to thoroughly investigate broadside accidents. We have access to top medical experts, including a licensed and registered nurse at our firm. Our experienced legal team leaves no stone unturned in our pursuit of the compensation you deserve.

How to Reach the Warner Law Offices

The experienced legal team at Warner Law Office has more than 50 years of combined experience protecting the rights of accident victims in Wichita and throughout Kansas. Attorney Thomas M. Warner was admitted to the Bar in 1985 and has a track record of obtaining large, multi-million dollar settlements for clients. Attorney Anne H. Pankratz, a licensed registered nurse, was admitted to the Bar in 1986. We take your case personally. Contact Warner Law Offices today at 866-584-1032 for a free case evaluation with one of our team members.