Side-impact crash victims and survivors typically endure one of the most harrowing types of accidents. Often our clients have had the right of way through a green light or were otherwise following traffic laws.
An inattentive driver was not paying attention to the road or could have been distracted, resulting in a collision with the side of the car, often causing serious injuries to someone like yourself or someone you know.
This web page has been specifically created to provide information about side-impact crashes, often described as "T-bone" accidents or broadside collisions. The Flood Law Firm's car accident lawyers are extremely familiar with the complications that arise from T-bone crash claims. Within this page the following information will be addressed:
- What Our Attorneys Can Do To Help
- The Process and How Much Does an Attorney Cost
- Who is At Fault in a Broadside Collision
- Common Injuries
- Why Side-Impact Crashes Differ From Other Types of Car Crashes
Side-impact car accidents are often not "accidents" but instead severe collisions often due to the act of a careless individual who was not obeying traffic laws and thereby injured an innocent person. My entire career has been dedicated to representing the innocent victim and helping the individual and their family get their life back on track. - Chris Flood, Esq.
How Our Attorneys Can Help You After a T-Bone Accident
Starting at this moment, you are already taking the responsible steps to understand your rights as a victim, spouse, next of kin, or friend of a side-impact victim.
The first element to understand about a car crash such as a T-Bone accident is that they are rarely "accidents" and are more accurately described -s a collision or crash. Too often a distracted, speeding or otherwise negligent driver is at fault for the crash.
Another common misunderstanding is that the other party's insurance company wants to help and is contacting you or a loved one to get a statement. We encourage you not to speak with the other party's insurance as their goal is to record a statement and avoid paying or reducing costs to save the insurance company money.
The injuries from a side-impact collision can be significant, as the victims' heads are commonly close to the part of the car where the accident occurred, there can often be head trauma or a brain injury. Brain injuries are dangerous as they are not visible and require medical diagnosis and monitoring. If you or someone you know has been in a side-impact collision and has not yet had a medical review, we encourage the victim to meet with a doctor as soon as possible.
Our attorneys have represented hundreds of individuals in car, truck, motorcycle, and other serious crashes, and can provide advice with an initial consultation. Our consultations are free, have no obligation, and are 100% confidential.
What is the Process and How Much Does a Car Accident Lawyer Cost?
Should you decide to hire our law firm, you pay no upfront expenses. We work on a contingency-fee-basis and will only be paid once we recover for you on your behalf. Our goal is to take the phone calls, paperwork, and harassing insurance adjuster calls, and make the process easy for you or your loved one who has been injured. It is time for them to heal, see a doctor, and begin to put this matter in the past.
If you have viewed our verdicts and settlement section, it tells many stories of generating outcomes some over $1 million when the opposing party's insurance company wouldn't offer $1. Put simply, we're aggressive lawyers for our clients. We want our clients to get better, and we will handle their cases as swiftly as possible, however, we are always fighting for the maximum monetary recovery.
If you have a question, would like a consultation, or are ready to hire our firm, we can be reached at (860) 346-2695. You may also use the contact form which is sent directly to our lawyers.
If you would like to learn more about how we can help you and what you can expect, take a moment to watch this video featuring our founding partners, former clients, and meet a few people who will be helping to make this process as easy as possible.
Who is at Fault in a T-bone Car Accident?
T-bone accidents are often caused by distracted or drunk drivers and drivers who fail to yield to another vehicle in their path. A driver who doesn’t follow the rules of the road may not feel obligated to give the right of way to another driver at a four-way-stop or intersection.
After a side-impact collision occurs, it is important to identify the cause of the accident in order to determine liability. To identify the other party’s negligence, your attorney can begin to assemble evidence to support your claims.
The evidence needed to prove negligence must demonstrate that:
- The defendant driver had a duty of care to conduct his or her vehicle safely.
- The defendant driver’s negligent activity breached that duty.
- The defendant driver’s breach was the proximate (direct, legally sufficient) cause of the collision and your damages.
Since the courts consider all drivers to have a certain duty of care to safely operate their vehicles, accidents are often caused by what the courts view as a breach of that duty. An experienced attorney can help you evaluate your claims with respect to the other driver’s negligence and applicable duty of care. Your lawyer will offer guidance in helping to determine whether the allegedly at-fault driver is liable for the injuries she/he has caused you.
Your car accident attorney will collect the following types of evidence to help establish your claims:
- Police reports
- Photographs
- Medical records
- Witness statements
It is important to collect this evidence in a timely and thorough manner to most effectively present your claim and your case to the court or in any settlement proceedings.
When a side-impact collision results in injuries and damages, the victim should consult with a personal injury attorney to determine whether any potential lawsuits or settlements might be possible to help make the victim whole again.
Negligence and a Driver’s Duty to Act with Reasonable Care
Evidence during a car accident trial is often evaluated under a standard that lawyers call “preponderance of the evidence.” When negligence is also suspected, the victim (and the victim’s attorney) must prove that he or she suffered actual damages. The victim must also show that the defendant breached a duty by failing to exercise a reasonable standard of care—and that the breach was the proximate cause of the victim’s damages.
Common driving causes which lead to T-bone and other severe accidents include:
- Failing to come to a complete stop at an intersection
- Failing to yield
- Turning across lanes of traffic
- Running a red light
- Miscalculating oncoming traffic when making a right turn
- Driving while intoxicated or otherwise impaired
- Steering, braking, or other mechanical failures
- Talking on a cell phone or texting while driving
- Recklessness and aggressive driving
What Are The Types of Injuries Often Received After a Side-Impact Collision?
Facial Injuries
Deployed airbags can cause serious facial injuries, including burns, fractures, and scalp injuries. Broken windshields and windows can create dangerous, sharp flying debris that can deeply cut exposed skin.
The more common injuries after a side-impact collision are:
- Face lacerations and cuts
- Bruises and bodily contusion
- Scrapes and other abrasions
Fractures and Broken Bones
Fractures of the arms, legs, wrists, and hands can result from the impact of the driver’s side door. The force of impact can cause the side door to buckle and completely collapse, resulting in a cave-in that can cause fractures and extensive internal damage.
Strained and Sprained Muscles and Tendons
Sprained muscles and torn tendons and ligaments can result from whiplash and other unnaturally stretched body parts. Hip and shoulder dislocation, as well as fractured clavicles and ribs, can result from a mid-door impact.
Broken Ribs, Chest Cavity, and Shoulder Injuries
The rib cage is particularly vulnerable to broken bones and other internal injuries due to its close proximity to the outside of the chest cavity, making it particularly vulnerable to coming into contact with the steering wheel, steering column, and collapsed door structure. The clavicle is one of the most delicate bones in the body, making it susceptible to fractures during a side-impact.
Spinal Damage, Herniated Disks, and Compression Injuries
Back injuries and other spinal issues often arise from side-impact collisions since these types of accidents are susceptible to compression-related injuries. Ruptured disks and disk herniation are common after a T-bone accident since the force of the impact can create an environment ripe for compression injuries, which force the spine downward into the seat, and exert immense pressure on the spinal column.
Organ and Other Internal Injuries
A T-bone collision can damage the body’s internal organs extensively: the impact from the crash can turn door handles, steering wheels, and other mechanical parts into lethal and dangerous sharp objects which can lacerate the kidneys, liver, and spleen.
Damaged and Punctured Eardrums
In cars without the benefit of side airbags, a T-bone collision can force the victim’s ear against the vehicle sidewall or window, causing severe internal damage to delicate ear structure. Side airbags themselves can present a dangerous situation when they deploy and explode outwards into the vicinity of the driver’s head and shoulders. Injuries can include eardrum punctures, burns, and lacerations as well as the chronic condition tinnitus, a painful and annoying ringing, or vibrating in the inner ear.
Bruised or Severed Brain Stem and Spinal Cord
The brain stem attaches to the spinal cord and is especially vulnerable to violent impact and compression damage. These injuries can cause severe damage resulting in paralysis and, in worst cases, the death of the victim.
Brain Injuries, Brain Damage, and Skull Fractures
T-bone collisions can cause the victim’s head to hit the vehicle’s infrastructure—like the windshield or doorframe—causing the brain to strike the inside of the skull. Depending on the severity of the impact, the victim can suffer brain injuries ranging from mild concussions to skull fractures and severe brain damage.
With certain brain injuries, the damage sustained often lies dormant and may not be diagnosed or obvious right away. If you suspect that you may have a brain injury as the result of a T-bone collision, it is important to contact your physician and your attorney to fully document the progression of symptoms throughout your recovery.
Why Do Side-Impact Crashes Differ from Other Types of Car Crashes?
Simply put, the collision point is a thinner area of the car and is closer to the occupant who may be injured. There is no engine or sheet metal of the trunk to absorb as much of the collision. This can make a side-impact collision extremely dangerous and if you or a loved has been involved in a collision it is recommended to see a doctor for even the slightest of injuries or pains, especially headaches.
As mention above, brain injuries can be mild or serious, however you can not see the injury like you can a broken bone. They are no often apparent and may be overlooked. This is extremely dangerous.
If you have received medical care and are ready to move forward and meet with a lawyer, we welcome your call or email and can be reached at (860) 346-2695. With offices located throughout the state, we can come to your home or hospital to offer a consultation and help with preparing your case so you or a loved one receive the maximum result.
To learn more about our firm or if you would like to read our testimonials, here is an easy link to our Testimonials page. Thank you for visiting The Flood Law Firm.
