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T-Bone Accidents

PRACTICE AREAS

houston tbone accident lawyer

Side impact collisions, or t-bone crashes, account for 24% of driver or passenger automobile fatalities in the United States. These types of car accidents are fairly common. T-bone car accidents are among the most dangerous types of car crashes because the initial impact can take place right next to the vehicle’s occupants.

If you’ve sustained injuries in a t-bone accident that wasn’t your fault, then you may be eligible for compensation. This compensation can’t reverse all of the difficult things you have to endure as a car accident victim, but it can help eliminate the stress that comes with the overwhelming financial burden that car accidents can bring.

At Reich & Binstock, our Houston car accident attorneys have been fighting for personal injury victims for over 30 years. Our team of reputable personal injury lawyers has the experience and resources required to get you maximum fair compensation. After a t-bone accident, if you want to seek compensation for the injuries sustained during the accident, an experienced car accident attorney at our law firm will provide you with a free consultation. Call 713-622-7271 or fill out our online contact form to get started.

What Is a T-Bone Accident?

A t-bone accident, also known as a side-impact collision or a right-angle collision, occurs when the front of one vehicle crashes into the side of another vehicle, forming a “T shape” upon the impact. T-bone car accidents usually occur at intersections. And, since there isn’t as much protection on the sides of the vehicle when compared to other types of car accidents, such as rear ended car accidents or head-on crashes, these types of crashes often cause severe injuries to the vehicle’s occupants.

Furthermore, t-bone collisions also often lead to secondary car accidents, as the force of one crash can cause the other vehicle to move sideways and into a secondary car accident with oncoming traffic, fire hydrants, telephone poles, guardrails, traffic lights, etc. Depending on how fast one car hit the other, the vehicle can also roll over entirely.

Major vehicle damage and serious injuries are common after a t-bone car accident.

Common T-Bone Car Accident Injuries

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Despite the recent safety features, such as airbags and side impact bars, victims of a t-bone car accident may still suffer severe injuries. The most common types of serious injuries associated with a t-bone accident include:

If you’ve suffered injuries in a t-bone accident that wasn’t your fault, or if your loved one died in a t-bone car accident, you should contact a respected car accident attorney as soon as possible. Any serious injury will be costly, and you deserve to be fairly compensated for all of the relevant t-bone accident injuries you’re suffering because of the wreck.

Houston T-Bone Accident Damages

After a t-bone car accident, victims typically endure an unexpected financial hardship that is directly caused by the accident. Accident victims do not ask to be in this position, nor do they deserve it. So, t-bone accident victims may apply for a number of damages following their accident.

The amount of the damages awarded will depend on the specific details surrounding your specific case. Examples of car accident damages include:

Medical Expenses

Anyone who has been involved in any type of car accident is instructed to seek medical attention immediately. Adrenaline can mask an array of serious injuries, so it’s better for car accident victims to be safe. More than likely, following your t-bone car accident, you’ve racked up a pile of medical bills.

All medical bills, as well as any associated future medical costs can and should be included in your financial settlement. T-bone crash victims should keep all receipts that correlate to the medical expenses accrued because of the accident.

Lost Wages

If you had to miss time at work because of mental or physical injuries, then you deserve to receive fair compensation for lost wages.

If you were involved in a t-bone collision that caused permanent physical injuries, then you will need a car accident lawyer to fight on your behalf for a permanent disability settlement that covers future lost wages, as well.

Property Damage

Anyone who has ever been involved in a t-bone accident can vouch that the property damage associated with t-bone collisions is extremely high. Your car is likely to be totalled if you’re the innocent party in the t-bone collision. So, any property damage, including vehicle repair or replacement costs should be factored into your t-bone collision settlement.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering damages aim to compensate accident victims for the mental and physical suffering they’ve endured as a result of their accident. Victims that wish to pursue pain and suffering damages in a car accident case really need the assistance of an experienced attorney, as it’s difficult to understand what aspects count and how much you should demand.

Wrongful Death

Side impact collisions have the potential to kill anyone involved, sadly. If you’ve lost a loved one in a t-bone collision, then you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit on their behalf. Wrongful death lawsuits should cover all funeral expenses, any remaining medical expenses, loss of consortium, and a few other related expenses.

T-bone accidents happen, and when they do, the innocent victims don’t deserve to struggle because of it. To find out if you have a valid t-bone accident case, contact the experienced Houston t-bone collision lawyers at Reich & Binstock for a free consultation.

T-Bone Accident Liability

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Many accident victims are surprised to hear how many potentially at-fault parties there are when a t-bone accident happens. Let’s look at some of the potential liable parties.

The Other Driver

The most basic premise is that in a t-bone collision, at least one of the drivers is going to be at fault for the accident. Traffic should never cross an intersection or traffic light at right angles at the same time, so one or the other drivers clearly should have never entered the intersection.

What may cause the other driver to enter the intersection wrongfully?

Here are the most common factors, many of which usually occur in conjunction with one another:

We’ve already discussed how other drivers can cause a t-bone crash, but you can see how the varied explanations all fall under the umbrella of negligent driving.

Others Legally Responsible for At-Fault Driver’s Negligence

Sometimes, when t-bone accidents occur, it is beyond the at-fault party’s control.

For example, while we all know that driving under the influence is dangerous, what happens when the other driver was prescribed a new medication but wasn’t warned about the adverse side effects of that medication? When the other driver loses control of his or her vehicle, should they be held responsible?

Or, what happens when a company hires one driver with an established unsafe driving record and that driver causes a broadside collision? Shouldn’t the company be held responsible, as well?

What about the 15-year-old that took their parent’s car without permission?

An experienced Houston personal injury lawyer knows how to look beyond the scope of the actions of the negligent driver. Our ability to do so allows us to see damages from all at-fault parties, not just the driver.

Road Engineers

We all share this intuitive sense that there are some intersections that are inherently more dangerous than others. While many believe this is based on a gut instinct, there are actually researchers that analyze traffic accident data and clearly identify those intersections where car accidents happen much more frequently than they should.

The more difficult task comes with figuring out what specifically makes that intersection more dangerous and who should have acted more quickly to prevent those accidents from occurring.

There are many features of intersections that road designers and engineers have control over. The features that contribute to making an intersection unreasonably susceptible to t-bone crashes include:

Confusing Layout

Drivers should be able to quickly determine where they are permitted to drive or turn at an intersection. So, confusing traffic patterns, especially at a traffic light, can result in a driver making a mistake and entering an intersection when they shouldn’t.

Drivers should never assume that a red light or intersection is well-designed. Every Houston intersection presents a dangerous point that requires the driver’s undivided attention.

Inappropriate Signs

The more traffic that flows through an intersection, the more robust road signs and signals should be.

Sometimes, a traffic engineer makes a bad decision that doesn’t anticipate the adequate time needed for a driver to see the traffic sign or traffic light and have time to react correctly.

Poor Sightlines

When a driver approaches an intersection, he or she should be able to properly assess oncoming traffic. However, sometimes road engineers make a poor judgment call on where to locate an intersection. This results in what’s called a “point of conflict” between the crossing traffic that dramatically increases the risk of a vehicle mistakenly entering the intersection and causing a side impact collision.

Automobile Manufacturers

A shared driving fear is approaching a red light, tapping the brakes, and nothing happening. Or, the opposite, driving through an intersection, only for your car to completely stop in the middle of the intersection.

If a t-bone accident occurred because of a mechanical failure, then the auto manufacturer or the auto parts manufacturer may be held liable for producing and distributing a defective auto product.

Unlike other personal injury claims, proving that a defective product caused one drive to hit another, results in a strict liability claim. This means that your personal injury lawyer only needs to prove that the manufacturer sold you the defective product in order to prove they were at fault. However, determining how and why an automobile failed and proving that the auto failure caused the accident does present a number of complications. An experienced personal injury law firm will have the resources to get to the bottom of it.

How Our Houston T-Bone Accident Lawyers Can Help

Car accident victims aren’t expected to identify or know which at-fault parties they can make a claim against. The process of investigating car accident claims and pursuing justice against the other car or parties that contributed to the t-bone car accident is a job for an experienced Houston personal injury attorney.

The experienced lawyers at Reich & Binstock can help by:

  • identifying all legally responsible parties for your t-bone accident;
  • investigating which of the negligent parties has the resources to pay you the damages you deserve (whether this is through their insurance company or assets);
  • negotiating a fair settlement with each of those negligent parties, and
  • if necessary, take the appropriate legal action against those parties in court.

Houston T-Bone Accident Attorneys

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If you’ve been involved in a t-bone crash that wasn’t your fault, then having an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side is the best way to give yourself the highest likelihood of receiving the maximum damages for your t-bone collision injuries. The lawyers at Reich & Binstock law firm have handled hundreds of car accident cases. We provide a free consultation for victims of car crashes, and we’re here to help you understand what your rights are for pursuing justice and compensation for your losses.

Contact an experienced Houston t-bone collision lawyer from Reich & Binstock for answers to any of your personal injury questions. You can reach our office by calling 713-622-7271 or filling out our online form.