Sarasota T-Bone Collision Attorney
Side impact collisions or T-bone collisions involve one vehicle hitting the other perpendicularly. These types of crashes often involve serious injuries to both parties. Even at low speeds, whiplash, fractured bones, and traumatic brain injuries are common. If you were involved in a T-bone collision, the Sarasota T-bone collision attorneys at Hale Law can help you receive financial compensation to pay for your many damages, including medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and more.
T-Bone Collision Statistics
23 percent of fatal collisions are side-impact crashes, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. With around one in four serious injury collisions being side-impact, here in Florida that amounts to roughly 33,000 crashes per year (not counting motorcycle, pedestrian, and bike crashes), using data from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Administration. The severity of a T-bone collision depends on speed, angle, mass, and the safety features of each vehicle. Of course, as with any traffic collision, the higher the speed and the greater the size difference of each vehicle increases the chance of serious injury and death in T-bone collisions. The angle of impact, as well as the height of each vehicle, also matters. The closer to 90 degrees or the more straight-on the impact, the more directly the force goes into each vehicle, instead of that force being redirected.
Determining Fault in T-Bone Collisions
T-bone collisions usually occur when one party fails to give right of way to the other vehicle. Examples of this failure to yield include:
- A driver runs a stop sign or red light;
- A driver pulls out from a side or secondary street in front of an oncoming vehicle that has right of way;
- A driver makes an unsafe left hand turn across the oncoming lane of traffic, hitting or being hit by an oncoming vehicle; and
- A driver who is speeding through a parking lot hits a vehicle in the process of backing out, or vice versa: the driver pulling out fails to give right of way and backs up too suddenly or without looking behind them.
While at first glance it may appear that the driver who hit the other with the front of their car should be held at fault. However, this is just as likely to not be the case. The driver who “got” T-boned may, in fact, be the negligent party. The crash scene needs to be carefully analyzed, relevant road signs and laws taken into account, and all eye witnesses interviewed to determine fault. Do not assume that simply because you were the driver to T-bone the other vehicle that you were to blame.
Our Sarasota T-Bone Collision Attorneys Can Help You Today
If you were injured in a T-bone collision, the other party must be held accountable for your damages. You can be compensated for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and much more. To get started today, call the Sarasota T-bone collision attorneys here at Hale Law today at 941-735-4529 to schedule a free consultation.
