T-Bone Truck Accident Lawyer
T-bone accidents are one of the leading causes of severe injuries and death in the United States. These T-bone crashes occur when a car travels at high speeds and hits another commercial vehicle that stops or turns.
As a result, passengers in the struck vehicle can suffer serious injuries, including spinal cord damage, head injuries, and broken bones. In some cases, these injuries can be fatal.
Have you been injured in a T-bone accident? The personal injury attorneys at Injury Lawyer Team, sponsored by Rosenfeld Law Offices, advocate for victims harmed through another’s negligence.
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Contact us to schedule a free case review if you need legal representation. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our truck accident attorneys remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
What is a T-Bone Accident?
Traffic accidents are a leading cause of death and injury in the United States. In 2014, there were more than 33,000 fatalities due to traffic accidents. That’s an average of 91 deaths per day.
While many of these fatalities are due to drunk driving or distracted driving, thousands of people are killed each year in T-bone accidents.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were over 5,000 fatalities due to T-bone truck accidents in 2016. That’s an alarming number, and it’s only going up.
Side Impact (T-Bone) Crashes Are Usually Deadly
Injuries in these accidents are often severe, leading to long-term physical and emotional trauma for victims. This type of accident is so named because the vehicles involved resemble the letter “T” when viewed from above. A bone truck accident occurs when the front of one car crashes into the side of another car. These accidents are often very severe, as the vehicles involved tend to collide at high speeds.
The driver and passengers in the struck commercial vehicle can suffer serious injuries, including spinal cord damage and head injuries. In some cases, these injuries can be fatal.
What Causes T-Bone Truck Accidents?
T-bone accidents are often devastating collisions that can have life-altering consequences for the victims.
Driver Error
Making a mistake behind the wheel is the number one cause of T-bone truck accidents. Any error driving a large, fully loaded semi-tractor-trailer could create catastrophic problems in a side-impact (T-bone) accident.
Data shows the driver mistakes that most often cause T-bone accidents are:
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Improper turns
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
These mistakes are entirely preventable, but they happen all too often. If you have been involved in a
T- bone truck accident caused by another driver’s error, you may be able to seek compensation for your damages.
Manufacturing Defects
Sometimes, a T-bone truck accident is caused by a manufacturing defect in one of the vehicles involved. It could be a problem with the brakes, steering, tires, or other critical components. If a manufacturing defect caused your T-bone truck accident, you might be able to hold the manufacturer liable for your damages.
Improper Maintenance
Unfortunately, the trucking industry doesn’t have the best track record with vehicle maintenance. Trucking companies and private individuals are responsible for keeping their vehicles in good working order. It includes regular maintenance and repairs, as needed. When trucks are not properly maintained, it can lead to dangerous conditions that increase the risk of accidents.
For example, if a truck’s brakes are not regularly serviced, they may fail when the driver needs them most. It could cause a T-bone truck accident if the truck rear-ends another vehicle or sideswipes it while trying to stop and colliding with the other driver.
Poor Road Conditions
In some cases, poor road conditions can contribute to a T-bone wreck. It could include potholes, debris in the roadway, or inadequate signage. If poor road conditions played a role in your accident, you might be able to file a claim against the government entity responsible for maintaining the roads.
Driver Inexperience
Trucking companies must hire competent truck drivers with experience handling heavy loads to ensure everyone’s safety when sharing the road. Driver inexperience could lead to a side-impact truck accident if the truck driver is not adequately trained to operate the vehicle.
Injuries Resulting from T Bone Accident
Injuries occurring from a T-bone accident can be catastrophic or fatal. The most common injuries are to the head, chest, and abdominal area. When two vehicles collide, the force is usually directed straight into the passenger compartment of the car, causing severe injury to the passengers.
The most common injuries resulting from a T-bone accident include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs): Even a minor vehicle collision where a truck or a semi-truck crashes into the side of a passenger vehicle can cause a traumatic brain injury. Victims often suffer disastrous injuries to the head from the blunt force trauma of the oncoming traffic.
- Spinal cord injuries: T-bone collisions can leave victims gravely injured with damage to the spinal cord, resulting in permanent damage, including total or partial paralysis. Many of these accident victims suffer from quadriplegia (tetraplegia), or paraplegia, requiring a lifetime of assistance, wheelchairs, and the need for other durable medical equipment.
- Broken and fractured bones: The force of the impact can cause fractures to the arms, legs, ribs, and other bones in the body. These injuries can be harrowing and may require surgery and rehabilitation therapy to heal properly.
- Internal bleeding and organ damage: The blunt force trauma of the collision can cause severe internal bleeding and damage to organs. These injuries may be life-threatening and require emergency surgery.
- Lacerations and contusions: Sharp vehicle or road objects can cause lacerations (cuts) and contusions (bruises) during a T-bone accident. These injuries may seem minor but can result in substantial blood loss.
- Psychological injuries: Victims of T-bone accidents often suffer from psychological injuries such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. These conditions can be debilitating and require treatment by a mental health professional.
If you have been injured in a T-bone collision, it is crucial to seek medical attention immediately. The doctors will be able to assess your injuries and provide you with the necessary treatment.
Truck Driver Involved in Road Accidents
Truck drivers can be involved in road accidents in many ways. Some truck drivers may cause accidents by driving recklessly or failing to obey the road rules. Additionally, truck drivers may be injured in accidents that were not their fault.
In some cases, truck drivers may even be responsible for causing a crash. Other times, the T-bone truck crash is caused by a driver in a passenger vehicle who made an illegal maneuver such as
- Making an illegal turn into oncoming traffic
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Failing to yield the right of way or obey traffic laws
- Illegally changing lanes while in the trucker’s blind spots
- Making an illegal U-turn
If you were involved in an accident with a large truck, you must speak with an experienced truck accident attorney who can help you determine who was at fault and your legal options.
How to Avoid Truck Accidents
Truck drivers need to be aware of the dangers they face on the road and take steps to avoid accidents. It includes obeying the speed limit, staying alert, and being aware of their surroundings. Truck drivers should also know what to do in a collision. Following these simple tips can help keep yourself and others safe on the road.
Drivers in Passenger Vehicles
Motorists can do a few things to avoid crashing into a truck and causing a car accident. For one, drivers should never pass a truck on the right. Trucks need more time and space to make turns and tend to sway more on the road because of their size.
To avoid a truck or car accident, drivers should also avoid driving in the blind spot of a truck and always use their signal when changing lanes. If you’re driving behind a truck, stay far back so you have enough time to brake if the truck driver slams his brakes.
Finally, never drink and drive, especially with large trucks. Impairment can lead to a severe truck/car accident.
Filing for Compensation After a T-Bone Crash: The Type of Financial Recovery I Can Pursue
Truck accident victims can seek financial damages after an auto accident. Typically, the victims’ truck accident lawyer will file an insurance claim with the trucking company by submitting a claim with the company’s insurance company policy or personal injury lawsuit.
In many incidents, the personal injury law firm working for the company will deny responsibility for the crash, especially if the driver was working as an independent contractor.
Filing an Insurance Claim with The At-Fault Party’s Insurance Company
You can also consider filing a lawsuit against the liable parties (driver and trucking company) to recover damages for your injuries and property damage caused by the accident. This type of lawsuit is paid through the company’s assets when there is little or no insurance coverage available to recover compensation.
Discussing your case in a free consultation with a respectable and knowledgeable lawyer is essential to have the best outcome possible.
Recovering Lost Income Through Workers’ Compensation Benefits
In some cases, the trucker was severely injured or killed. In these cases, the victim or surviving family members may be entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits even if a negligent driver caused the accident.
Worker’s Compensation payments might include funds for past and ongoing damages, including:
- Lost income and future lost earnings
- Permanent or temporary disability payments
- Hospital costs and medical bills
- Rehabilitation and therapy expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Funeral and burial expenses in wrongful death cases
- Receiving compensation for catastrophic or fatal injuries through a wrongful death lawsuit
Filing a Fatal Truck Accident Lawsuit Citing Wrongful Death
Car wrecks and truck crashes often result in catastrophic injuries due to the truck driver’s negligence. If you lost a loved one in such an accident, you and your family might be entitled to receive significant compensation for your damages.
Some of the types of compensation that may be available to the surviving family of a deceased T-bone crash victim include:
- Past medical expenses
- Medical bills
- Lost wages and earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of companionship or consortium
- Funeral and burial expenses (in wrongful death cases)
- Property damage
Consider hiring our experienced truck accident attorney today to resolve your semi-truck, car accident, or vehicle collision case. Our truck accident attorneys will evaluate your case in a free case evaluation.
Experienced attorneys handling cases involving commercial vehicles can ensure that injury victims’ rights are protected, and that proper financial recovery is secured.
Schedule a free consultation with an accident lawyer from our respectable legal team to discuss your trucking accident case.
Hire a T-Bone Truck Accident Attorney to Resolve a Commercial Vehicle Crash Case
Did you suffer catastrophic injuries in a truck accident or lose a loved one in a fatal truck/car accident? The personal injury attorneys at Injury Lawyer Team handle all truck accident cases involving horrific and fatal injuries after having a free consultation to discuss your case.
Our personal injury legal team fights aggressively on behalf of our clients, seeks compensation to ensure they receive maximum financial recovery for damages and is equipped to discuss with the responsible insurance company of the defendant.
Contact an experienced injury lawyer for a free legal consultation to discuss the merits of your truck accident claim in a free consultation.
Our experienced truck accident attorneys accept all personal injury claims and wrongful death lawsuits on a contingency fee agreement. This promise postpones your payment of legal fees until your T-bone truck accident lawyer has successfully resolved your case through a negotiated settlement or jury award.