The initial point of impact is an important factor in determining the severity of a car accident. When the initial point of impact is at the front or side of a vehicle, the odds of the accident having tragic implications increase. You will likely need to get a T-bone accident lawyer involved immediately following the crash.
How can a T-bone accident attorney help with your predicament? Let’s answer that question and address other relevant topics throughout the rest of this article.
Definition of T-Bone Accident
A T-bone accident is a type of crash where the front portion of one vehicle smashes into the side of another. These are among the deadliest car accidents you may be involved in while traveling Bexar County roads. Relative to other parts of your vehicle, the sides are among the least protected.
Car doors are not especially thick, so they cannot put up much resistance against the full force of a speeding vehicle. As a result, a car can rip through your door easily and seriously injure your passengers. Victims in T-bone accidents may suffer significant losses. Make sure you receive compensation for those losses by partnering with a San Antonio car accident lawyer.
How Often Do T-Bone Car Accidents Occur?
San Antonio drivers must be wary of T-bone car accidents. Unfortunately, they happen fairly frequently and tend to have tragic consequences. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 5,475 people died due to their involvement in side-impact crashes in 2020. In other words, 23% of the people who died in passenger vehicle crashes in 2020 were in side-impact accidents.
Only head-on crashes led to more passenger vehicle fatalities that year. Those numbers remind us to be more vigilant on the road. You do not want to be in a position where you will need the help of a car crash attorney. That is especially true if the troubling incident is a T-bone crash.
Who Is At Fault in a T-Bone Accident?
Instinctively, you may assume that the party responsible for causing your T-bone accident is the driver of the vehicle that hit you. Unfortunately, in many cases, that does turn out to be the case. For one reason or another, the driver hit your car, and now you must file a lawsuit to recoup your losses. That said, you should not be attached to the idea that the other driver is the only party they can blame for the accident.
T-bone accidents can also be byproducts of chain reactions. For example, another driver may have bumped into the car that eventually hit your vehicle. Because they were the ones who initiated the chain of events, they are the party you should hold accountable.
After your auto accident lawyer investigates the crash, they may also discover that a faulty component in the other driver’s car played a major role in what happened. In that scenario, you should strongly consider pursuing compensation against the company that sold the defective component. So many victims of car accidents have a hard time moving their cases forward simply because they do not know which party truly is responsible for what happened. You should seek help from a San Antonio personal injury lawyer if you want to answer that question definitively.
Lawyers Holding Negligent Drivers At Fault in T-Bone Accidents
Here at our San Antonio injury law firm, we pride ourselves on holding drivers accountable for their negligent actions. Some drivers take to the road with reckless abandon. They demonstrate little regard for the safety of other drivers in their presence which often leads to accidents. How do those negligent drivers endanger their fellow motorists? We discuss that matter in greater detail below.
Engaging in Impaired Driving
A driver’s ability to maintain control of their vehicle may become impaired by different factors. Those factors may include intoxication, fatigue, or stress. Do not underestimate the impact those impairments can have on your ability to drive. If you are not in the right state of mind, do yourself and your fellow motorists a favor by simply staying off the road.
Engaging in Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is as dangerous as impaired driving. When your attention becomes diverted from the road, you become a genuine hazard to the motorists around you. It is easy to fall victim to distracted driving if you often find yourself traversing San Antonio roads alone. You must recognize that reality to avoid distractions and become a safer driver.
Violating the Rules of the Road
Speeding, tailgating, and not yielding the right of way in certain situations are considered violations of Texas law. You are placing other drivers at risk if you frequently violate those rules of the road. Heed those Texas laws so you can help create a safer environment for all drivers.
Do I Need a Lawyer if the Accident Was Not My Fault?
One common mistake is assuming you do not need legal assistance simply because you did not cause the car crash. In an ideal world, you would not need to worry about losing out on compensation if the other driver was responsible for what happened. Unfortunately, that is not the case in most car accident cases. Hiring an auto accident attorney is necessary, so you can preserve your chances of claiming compensation.
Not long after the crash, the other driver’s legal representation will likely get in touch with you. During that conversation, they may discuss matters in a way that places more blame on you than what you deserve. Do not allow them to get away with using that tactic by hiring a T-bone accident lawyer. Partnering with a lawyer is also necessary if you want fair compensation.
Whether you intend to negotiate a settlement or take the matter to court, having a legal expert on your side is a must. Allow them to take the lead on those matters, and rest assured that they will secure the most favorable outcome for you.
Texas Driver Laws and Insurance Requirements
As a Texas resident, you must be aware of specific laws that will impact the outcome of your personal injury claim. You can learn more about them below.
Rules Related to Compensation
For starters, you must note that Texas is an at-fault state, and the party responsible for causing the accident will need to compensate the injured party. However, Texas also follows the doctrine of proportionate responsibility. Due to the rule of proportionate responsibility, claimants can only recover damages in personal injury cases if their share of the blame is no greater than 50%. Therefore, a plaintiff’s compensation award will also be reduced on the percentage of blame they bear for the accident.
The Statute of Limitations
Plaintiffs also only have two years from the date of the car accident to file their lawsuit. By hiring a car accident attorney, you can guarantee they will file your lawsuit on time.
Texas’ Insurance Laws
Per Texas law, all drivers in the state must prove that they can pay for any accidents they may cause. To meet that requirement, most drivers in the Lone Star State purchase car insurance. However, if a driver does not want to purchase auto insurance for any reason, they can still meet that requirement by making a cash deposit or providing a cashier’s check.
What if I Was Hit by an Uninsured or Underinsured Driver?
The driver who caused your T-bone accident could be uninsured or lack adequate insurance. That is a major issue because most drivers turn to their insurers to pay for the accidents they cause. If the other party lacks proper insurance, you still have the option of suing them. You can take them to task with the help of your lawyer and receive compensation that way.
A driver on the road without insurance or any other liability protection is likely in that situation because they do not have money to spare. That means they likely lack the ability to provide compensation so suing them may get you nowhere. In that situation, your best option is to file an uninsured or underinsured coverage claim with your insurance provider. Use the payout from that claim to cover your medical bills and other expenses.
San Antonio Car Accident Lawyer
We at Barrus Injury Lawyers can help drivers deal with the aftermath of T-bone car accidents. Reach out to us today, and we will guide you through that challenging ordeal.
