April 10, 2024
What Is a T-Bone Car Accident?
One of the most dangerous types of car crashes is a T-bone accident. These crashes comprise 13 percent of the total number of car accidents in the United States. Nearly 20 percent of car accident fatalities happen in broadside crashes; the fatality rate far exceeds the actual number of these types of car accidents. If you have been injured in a T-bone accident, you may have a long road to recovery ahead of you. Once you can prove fault, you may be entitled to financial compensation. You should always seek legal help as soon as possible after the accident.
What Happens in a T-Bone Car Crash?
T-bone car accidents occur when the front of one car strikes the broad side of the other. They happen because one driver fails to yield the right of way when required to do so by law. T-bone car accidents most commonly happen at intersections, whether there is a stop sign or traffic signal. One driver may run the light or stop sign intentionally or because they do not see it.
Why Are T-Bone Crashes So Dangerous?
T-bone crashes are very dangerous for both drivers. The driver who was struck on the broad side of their car could be seriously injured because of the force of the impact from the other car. The injuries may be even more severe when they have been struck on the driver’s side of the car because there will be the most force, and their body may come into contact with the other car. For the striking car’s driver, the crash’s impact could be equivalent to a head-on collision.
The driver who is struck is not automatically the one who would receive financial compensation. Determining legal liability depends on which driver failed to yield the right of way to the other. The driver who ran the stop sign or red light would be the one to blame for the accident. The problem is that you do not always know which driver was not where they were supposed to be, breaking the law. Your problem is compounded when nobody sees the actual accident.
One of the significant challenges in a T-bone car accident is that each driver may be telling a diametrically opposite story from the other. You may be sure what happened, but the other driver may lie because they fear being held liable and want financial compensation. The problem is that once you are involved in a “truth contest,” the burden of proof is on you to break the deadlock. You would need evidence that backs up your side of the story and directly contradicts what the other driver says.
How Can a Lawyer Help Me After a T-Bone Accident?
You would need to hire an attorney to gather the physical evidence corroborating your story. They would immediately need to investigate the crash before the evidence that would help your case is lost. The problem is that you cannot investigate the accident yourself because you are both dealing with physical injuries, and you may not have the background and experience to do so. Your lawyer could gather the following evidence that could help your legal case:
- Testimony from people who saw the accident
- Pictures from the scene of the crash
- Dashcam or video camera footage
- The police report from the accident
- Testimony from an accident reconstruction expert
Contact a Lansdale Car Accident Lawyer at the Law Firm of Anthony C. Gagliano III, P.C. After a T-Bone Crash
When you need an aggressive and hard-hitting attorney after a T-bone crash, contact a Lansdale car accident lawyer at the law firm of Anthony C. Gagliano III, P.C. Call 267-861-7100 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. We have offices in Philadelphia and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and we help clients in Montgomery County, Delaware County, Bucks County, Chester County, and Norristown.