While recovering from any car crash can be challenging, victims of T-bone accidents often have extremely severe injuries that can leave them permanently disabled. Every driver on the road owes every other person a duty to drive safely and take care to avoid collisions. When someone fails in that duty and slams into your vehicle, you have the right to hold them accountable for the harm they caused.
The Texas car accident lawyers of J.D. Silva & Associates offer this Texas T-bone accident guide to help you understand the causes, risks, and potential injuries associated with these crashes.
T-Bone Accident Fault
Texas has a fault-based insurance system, meaning a driver who is at fault for a car accident is responsible for compensating injury victims for any and all accident-related expenses. This includes replacement income if the victim or victims are injured to the point where they cannot work.
Demonstrating fault depends on vital evidence, such as a police report, as well as other information gathered as soon as possible after the accident. You can collect vital evidence while it is fresh, and a skilled car accident attorney can build on that to develop a robust claim. If possible, try to gather evidence such as:
- Photos and videos of your injuries
- Photos and videos of the vehicles at the time of the accident or before getting repairs to show property damage
- Photos and video of any other property damaged in the crash
- Photos and videos of the accident scene, the road and weather conditions, and anything else that contributed to the crash
- Contact information for any witnesses so your attorney can interview them
It’s also critical that you get medical attention for your injuries to protect your health and to connect any issues with the crash.
You may be transported to the hospital, but even if you think you are fine, you should visit your doctor within 24-48 hours for a full evaluation. Your attorney will use your medical records to verify the amount of compensation you deserve.
What Is a T-Bone Accident?
A T-bone accident is sometimes called a broadside collision or a side-impact accident. One car hits the side of another vehicle with the front end of the vehicle. It is called a T-bone because the two vehicles typically form the letter “T” in this type of collision.
T-bone collisions can be very serious. Sometimes, they are caused by vehicles ignoring traffic signals. A common scenario is when a car turns and another vehicle runs the stop light, resulting in a T-bone accident. T-bone crashes can be even more damaging and sometimes fatal if a motorcycle is involved.
T-Bone Accidents Are Very Dangerous
Broadside accidents can be particularly dangerous. A whopping 23% of vehicle occupant fatalities occur in T-bone accidents, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The consequences for children involved in T-bone accidents can be among the most severe.
Broadside collisions are fatal more often than rear-end collisions or head-on wrecks. Cars hit on the broadside protect their occupants far less since the only things separating them from the other vehicle are the car door and the window. This is particularly dangerous when one vehicle is smaller than the other, such as a larger truck hitting the side of a passenger car.
T-bone accidents mean all occupants are at great risk of being hurt or killed, not only due to the impact but also the secondary events that may occur. T-bone accidents may create a chain reaction and push the T-boned car into traffic, telephone poles, pedestrians, guardrails, parked cars, or off the road into whatever hazards are there. Victims on the side hit by the other vehicle may be slammed against the window and door, resulting in traumatic brain injuries and broken bones.
Common T-Bone Accident Injuries
Fatalities often happen after a T-bone crash, yet survivors may also suffer serious or even catastrophic injuries. They often need immediate transport to a hospital for emergency surgery or other treatment. Our attorneys have dealt with T-bone accident cases involving common injuries such as:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Back and neck injuries
- Cuts, bruises, and abrasions
- Broken and fractured bones
- Internal injuries
- Burns
- Crush injuries
- Puncture wounds
It can be extremely difficult for an accident victim to recover from these kinds of injuries, and they may face astronomical bills just to return to their lives. It is vital that they follow their doctor’s orders and keep records of every expense so their lawyer can calculate the full amount of their damages. Doing so not only gives them the best chance of physically and emotionally recovering, but it helps their attorney build the most powerful case on their behalf.
Right-of-Way and Insurance Claims
Several things are important to understand when thinking about T-bone car accidents, including the right-of-way and determining liability. Part of your attorney’s case will include demonstrating who was at fault, and this involves establishing who had the right of way and who broke the law. By demonstrating these basics, your lawyer can go on to show the other elements of negligence, which include:
- The defendant had a duty to obey the law and drive safely.
- The defendant did not uphold that duty, as shown by your evidence.
- You suffered injuries and other damages as a result of their failure to do their duty.
- You must be compensated for your associated expenses.
Whether you are negotiating an insurance claim or in court for your case, you must demonstrate negligence in order to secure financial recovery for your losses. It’s wise to let your attorney speak on your behalf so you do not unintentionally admit any part in the crash or otherwise jeopardize your claim.
How to Avoid T-Bone Accidents
While you can’t control other drivers on the road, you can educate yourself about the most common situations where T-bone accidents occur. Some important concepts to note are:
- Oncoming traffic has the right-of-way. Making a left turn without having the proper space to advance can put you in direct contact with an oncoming vehicle, causing a T-bone accident.
- Traffic signals will show you who has the right of way. When you have a green light, you have the right of way, but it is important to pay attention to what is happening around you. Pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcycles can potentially be in your path.
- Even when you have the right of way, you should pay attention. Drivers are required to practice a duty of care to avoid collisions.
- When approaching a yield sign, slow down or come to a stop. Merge into traffic as it becomes safe.
- Obey traffic laws and yield to emergency vehicles.
- When you are at an intersection with another vehicle, the vehicle on the left yields the right of way to the car on the right. If one vehicle clearly arrived first, they have the right-of-way.
- If there are issues at the intersection, do not enter, even if the traffic signals say it’s time to go. Obstructions can cause traffic problems.
- When merging onto the highway or entering a road from a driveway, yield to moving traffic.
- When traffic lights are out of order, approach the intersection like you have a red light and then treat it like a four-way stop.
Frequent Causes of Broadside Collisions
The fault for T-bone collisions often falls on the driver who fails to yield or give proper right of way to the others. Four-way stops are frequent situations where confused drivers are unsure of whether it’s their turn, leading to T-bone crashes. Some of the most common causes are when a driver chooses to ignore traffic signals and signs.
Poor infrastructure, road design, or unexpected events can also contribute to your crash, potentially putting repair companies or government agencies partly at fault. For example, when traffic lights are not functioning because of a power outage, there is often a corresponding uptick in the number of T-bone accidents. If your attorney can demonstrate the outage was due to insufficient maintenance or design, you could be able to seek compensation from multiple parties beyond just the driver who hit you.
When there are power outages, city and county officers are often sent to direct traffic to reduce the chances of T-bone collisions. Drivers often neglect this rule and fly through intersections at high speeds, which results in broadside accidents.
Commercial Truck T-Bone Crashes
While any T-bone accident can be deadly, the chances of it ending very poorly increase when large trucks are involved. Many cars feature side-impact airbags, but even if the airbags on the sides deploy, there is little protection between the passengers and the truck that hits them. This impact and the lack of a buffer can mean tragedy for those in the passenger vehicle.
Large trucks cannot increase in speed or come to a stop as quickly as a smaller vehicle could. This makes it much harder for them to turn in front of oncoming traffic without the risk of a T-bone crash.
You May Be Eligible for Compensation
When someone else is at fault, you have the right under Texas law to seek compensation. However, insurance adjusters may try to convince you they owe nothing and that you are actually to blame. This can create a lot of anxiety surrounding the damages and expenses you have struggled to pay.
Here are some of the damages that you can demand from the at-fault parties:
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of income
- Loss of future income
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Home alterations
- Mobility devices
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Physical, psychological, and occupational therapy
- Transportation costs
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Home healthcare
Bills stack up quickly when you have been in a car accident. While bills mount, the victim’s income often decreases, causing a stressful situation. An insurance company may make you a quick offer, but it is never the best they can do.
A personal injury attorney experienced with T-bone accidents can evaluate your crash and the damages you sustained. Our legal team has the experience and background to recognize a good deal and to fight for maximum benefits.
Who You Should Contact After a T-Bone Accident
The Pearland car accident lawyers at J.D. Silva & Associates in Pearland, TX, have worked on motor vehicle collision cases of all kinds, including T-bone accidents. We know how to make the process easier for victims of car accident injuries.
We handle all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning our clients owe us nothing unless and until we recover financial compensation for them. If you or someone you know was hurt in any capacity in a T-bone car accident, it’s important to contact J.D. Silva & Associates for a free case review as soon as possible.