Colorado Springs police gave no clues that charges would be filed following a crash that hospitalized four women. Two victims suffered catastrophic injuries in the two-vehicle auto accident. Two other women were seriously injured and require surgery.

Two women in a truck were hit straight on by a Chevrolet Malibu. The car swerved from the eastbound roadway into oncoming westbound traffic. Relatives said the truck driver noticed the car's erratic behavior before the head-on collision but could not predict which way the vehicle was headed.

Identities of the victims were not included in the police report. The two people in the Malibu - women, according to the truck driver's family members - were sent to the hospital in life-threatening and critical conditions.

Police are trying to determine why neither vehicle's air bags inflated during the accident. Investigators did not speculate on whether the use or alcohol or drugs contributed to the collision.

The most crucial information about the accident - the testimony of the drivers and their passengers -- may not be accessible until doctors allow the victims to be interviewed. It is likely that at least one blood test was performed to confirm or eliminate drunk driving.

Distracted driving also could have caused the driver to swerve off track. A car can quickly end up in the wrong lane when a driver allows a cellphone to take priority. Authorities will check the time stamps of texts or calls leading up to the crash.

Legal action does not have to wait until police decide whether criminal charges are necessary. The victims' medical expenses and wage losses are quickly increasing. Economic relief may be possible through civil court.

Personal injury lawsuits are based on negligence. Plaintiffs seek damages from defendants who have harmed them through a careless act. When a driver who is at-fault dies from accident injuries, victims are permitted to request damages from the deceased's estate.

Source: kktv.com, "Head-On Crash Sends Four To Hospital," Alyssa Chin, Jan. 20, 2013