T-bone accidents can have an immense impact on victims, from the pain of physical injuries to psychological trauma and financial losses. There are legal remedies that accident victims can pursue, and a lawyer’s insights may be of immense value. In addition to sharing their wisdom, your lawyer will handle any insurance claims and lawsuits you pursue. Most accident victims have their hands full with recovery. An attorney will spare you the responsibilities of your case for compensation. Your lawyer will also leverage their legal training, background, and financial resources in your favor.
What Is a T-Bone Accident?
A T-bone accident refers to a collision between two vehicles that happens in a T-formation. These are also called side-impact collisions because the front of one vehicle strikes another vehicle in the side. T-bone accidents can happen for many reasons, including because:- A driver proceeds through a red light, yield sign, or stop sign that they should have stopped for, which can cause them to hit another vehicle in an intersection or a lane merger
- A motorist misinterprets or disregards a green light, illegally turning in front of a motor vehicle at an intersection
- A motorist misjudges distance of speed of an oncoming vehicle, which can lead to a T-bone collision as the motorist crosses traffic
- A motorist is speeding, which can cause them to lose control of the vehicle or be unable to brake before a collision occurs
- There are dangerous road conditions (like defective traffic signals) that lead to a T-bone accident
- A motor vehicle component, such as brakes, malfunction in a way that causes a side-impact accident
Why T-Bone Accidents Often Cause Severe Injuries (and Psychological Trauma)
Angle collisions, in which T-bone accidents are included, account for the greatest percentage of deaths resulting from traffic accidents. These accidents can be uniquely dangerous because:
- Many motorists who cause side-impact accidents are engaged in high-risk behavior, such as speeding or drunk driving
- The side of a vehicle has relatively little protection when compared with the front and rear
- When a vehicle strikes the side of a vehicle, it may directly impact the driver or passengers
- A side-impact collision can lead to secondary events, like rollovers, that heighten the likelihood of injury and death
What Is the Total Impact of a T-Bone Accident for the Victim(s)?
Serious accidents and serious injuries take a serious toll on the victim. Those who survive T-bone collisions may:- Have life-changing pain and suffering: Though some victims do not recognize the symptoms, there’s a significant chance of PTSD following a side-impact accident. You may also experience depression, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, mood and personality changes, lost quality of life, and other types of pain and suffering because of the accident.
- Need mental health treatment: Your physical recovery may not be worth much if you’re struggling psychologically and emotionally. Therefore, getting mental health treatment should be a priority after a side-impact accident. Such treatment will cost money, and your lawyer will seek compensation covering your care.
- Face mounting medical costs: Nobody plans on being in a traffic accident. The slew of medical bills you face after the accident can be shocking. Your attorney will monitor your recovery, keep an accounting of your medical bills, and urgently pursue compensation covering all accident-related healthcare.
- Be unable to work: If your injuries prevent you from working as you normally do, you can lose income, miss bonus and promotion chances, lose earning power, and face long-term professional harm. T-bone accident attorneys always account for their clients' professional losses when valuing a case.
- Face severe property damage (and resulting costs): A side-impact accident can cause severe damage to a vehicle, sometimes even totaling the vehicle beyond repair. This and the cost of other damaged property can lead to high property-related expenses.
- Be disabled: Disabling injuries are markedly more expensive than injuries that fully heal. If you are disabled, you may need long-term income replacement, medical equipment, rehabilitation, and other items and services that come at a high cost.
A Wrongful Death Is the Worst Case Outcome of a T-Bone Accident
Side-impact accidents can be fatal, particularly when they involve a heavy vehicle or high speeds. If you and your loved ones have been affected by a fatal collision, a T-bone accident lawyer will handle a wrongful death case for you.
Victims of fatal side-impact accidents pursue wrongful death cases because:
- Suing is perhaps their only way to hold liable parties accountable for taking their loved one’s life
- Those affected by wrongful deaths face real financial burdens they deserve compensation for
- The pain and suffering one experiences because of a wrongful death can be debilitating
Legal Insights Every T-Bone Accident Victim Should Know
Your health should be your chief concern after the side-impact accident. However, you cannot even think about recovery without recognizing that there will be costs (both economic and otherwise) associated with the recovery. Once you realize that your accident can have a substantial cost, you must consider taking legal action. At the very least, you should consider hiring a lawyer to handle any insurance claims related to the T-bone accident. Lawyers have many legal insights that will be useful to you, which include:An Insurance Claim Could Provide the Money You Deserve (But It’s Never Guaranteed)
Auto accident attorneys know that:- In the majority of cases, those at fault for T-bone accidents have auto insurance
- Even if the at-fault party is uninsured, the accident victim may get compensation from others’ insurers (such as their own or the at-fault party’s employer’s)
Bad-Faith Tactics Can Compromise an Otherwise Strong Insurance Claim
Bad-faith tactics are the primary reason why insurance claims can be difficult. Some of the tactics that your attorney may face include:
- Denying your claim without or without a specific reason
- Delaying responses to your inquiries or other steps in the claims process
- Intentionally undervaluing your losses
- Offering a lowball settlement, which may require your attorney to engage in negotiations
- Refusing to engage in good-faith settlement negotiations
Lawsuits Are Always On the Table After a T-Bone Collision
Hiring a lawyer gives you leverage. If insurance companies do not offer fair compensation, your attorney can file a lawsuit. Having this option may motivate insurance companies to:- Act in good faith from the outset of your claim
- Engage in good-faith negotiations once it becomes clear that you will not accept a lowball settlement
- Eventually agree to pay the compensation you deserve, as the insurance company may fear losing at trial
Winning an Auto Accident Case Takes Resources (Which a Lawyer Can Provide)
Winning isn’t easy in the legal field, especially when insurance companies and other liable parties decide they don’t want to pay an accident victim fairly. Securing the financial outcome you deserve, therefore, may require:- A significant time investment by your T-bone accident lawyer
- Testimony, financial projections, and documentation from various experts
- A reconstruction of the T-bone collision
- Many other resources (including your lawyer’s effort)
Let an Experienced T-Bone Accident Lawyer Handle the Legal Duties (Your Recovery Should Come First)
When you hand off your case to a lawyer, you only need to wait for their call. However, if you have any questions or concerns, you should always be able to contact your legal team. Every detail of your case becomes your lawyer’s responsibility, and you can be confident they’ll consider even the smallest of facts. Some of the primary duties that T-bone accident lawyers handle for their clients include:Finding Evidence That Benefits Your Case
Your attorney must prove who is at fault for the collision, and that at-fault parties don’t include you. Some evidence your lawyer may incorporate into your case include:
- Testimony from witnesses to your T-bone accident
- An expert’s reconstruction of the accident
- Video of the accident
- Any police report related to the accident
Documenting All Harm from the T–Bone Accident
Your legal team needs to prove how the negligence of a motorist, municipality, or other party has harmed you. Some common types of documentation (which a lawyer will obtain for you) include:- Photographs of vehicle damage, invoices for vehicle repairs, and bills for temporary transportation
- Testimony from you and a mental health professional about your pain and suffering
- Medical records, doctors’ testimony, medical images, and medical bills
- Bank statements and employment records, which can help prove the professional (and financial) cost of the T-bone collision
Establishing Their Target for Settlement Negotiations
Your attorney will pinpoint the exact financial cost of your damages. They will use this value as their anchor point for settlement negotiations. Your case value will not just include damages you’ve already suffered, but also any future losses you are likely to face.Negotiating on Your Behalf, If Insurance Companies Require Them To
Your personal injury attorney will present their settlement demands to any insurance company that owes you compensation. The insurance company may respond by:
- Agreeing to your lawyer’s demands
- Extending a counter-offer, which will almost certainly still be less than your lawyer demands
- Sticking to their original offer (or even rescinding the offer)