T-Bone Car Accident Injury

Imagine driving a car and entering a four-stop intersection but as you slowly accelerate on green you see a car hurtling towards you on your right. Before you can even react, it crashes into your car. Even in the movies, you know such a scene foreshadows a grim twist in the plot. In life, you are lucky if you escape with a few injuries. But this has not been the case for majority of Americans.  

The NHTSA found that there has been a 10% increase in the fatalities caused by car accidents across the country in 2021. From 2008 to 2017, California saw almost 43% of fatalities caused at intersections, interchanges and other roadway access. 

Being in an accident is no small matter. It could be fatal or life-threatening. Even if you are lucky, you will have to shell out thousands of dollars for medical expenses and for restoring your vehicle. If claiming for insurance, you need to file complete and accurate paperwork that pleads your case. 

Using a lawyer for filing claims will lessen your burden. Read on to understand T-bone car accidents and why you should use legal assistance. Also, read the Department of Motor Vehicles, State of California’s Driver Handbook for safe driving practices to follow to make our roads a safer place.

What is a T-Bone Car Collision?

A T-Bone collision is when the front of a car collides with the side of another car usually at a 90-degree angle, resembling the letter T at the point of impact. This collision is also called broadside collision or right angle collision. 

These accidents can happen at intersections, interchanges, parking lots or when moving into a multi-lane roadway. 

Causes of T-Bone collisions

Major causes of car accidents are due to human errors. Poor driving skills, negligence due to distraction, non-adherence to road rules are the leading causes for the automobile crashes. Like all car accidents, T-Bone collisions can also be attributed to one or more of the following:

• Not yielding to Right-of-way 
• Ignoring road signage
• Over-speeding
• Jumping the red signal
• Negligent driving
• Brake malfunction
• Faulty road signals/fallen or absent stop signs

Using a car accident lawyer to file your accident injury claim will help your case immensely. They will thoroughly investigate the cause of the collision to identify the wrongful parties. A good lawyer will help you understand your rights and fight your case to get you a fair compensation. 

Impact of a T-Bone collision

When two or more cars are involved in a collision, the effects could range from mild to life-threatening. In a T-bone collision, since one of the cars is impacted on its side, this  accident is usually more serious than head-on collision. 

The effects of impact depend on the speed of the cars, built of the car, presence of side airbags and the point of impact. The crush zones of the car may absorb some kinetic energy, but usually in a T-bone collision, the impacted vehicle’s passengers or driver face serious injuries.  

After a T-Bone collision, the cars are usually turned to different direction from the impact. Sometimes during a serious crash, the cars could get spun or even roll over endangering pedestrians or oncoming traffic. This secondary collision could cause additional damages.  

The T-bone collision also endangers the life of the driver and the passengers. Most commonly reported injuries are:

• Whiplash or a strained neck 
• Broken ribs
• Injury caused due to airbags
• Arm fractured / severed
• Muscle pull / strain / tear
• Lacerations
• Broken hips / displaced hips
• Dislocated shoulders
• Pinched nerves / nerve damage
• Traumatic brain injury
• Blunt force trauma
• Concussion
• Spinal cord injury
• Paralysis
• Chronic pain

This list is not exhaustive. Injuries differ from case to case, but it is important to tell your lawyer as they will use the information while claiming compensation. This could help you from falling into debt from burgeoning medical bills.

T-Bone Accident Collision Statistics In California

According to research conducted by the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 3,435 people were killed, 254,561 people were injured and 3,168 of those collisions were fatal on impact. In general, side-impact or T-bone crashes cause more severe injuries to the passengers of the vehicle, because the side of a vehicle has poor ability to absorb the force of the colliding vehicle. Even with the help of airbags or reinforcement, the sides of the vehicle just cannot withstand impact from the side as effectively as the front.

Side-Impact Collisions and Traumatic Brain Injury

Side-impact crashes prove to be more dangerous because they expose a victim to the risk of traumatic brain injury. Over 50% of fatalities recorded in side-impact crashes have been caused due to traumatic brain injury.

Broadside-impact crashes are three times more likely to expose the vehicle occupants to TBI. Car accidents that occur from the side cause TBI’s so much so, that doctors usually check for brain injury as soon as you get in the hospital.

TBI Symptoms After T-Bone Accident

Patients suffering from traumatic brain injuries undergo life-altering changes, physical as well as cognitive. The effects of traumatic brain injury include:

• mood and personality changes
• lessening of cognitive and reasoning abilities
• paraplegia

Traumatic brain injury patients often need constant assistance and life-long medical care. The expenses over a long period of time can become a burden for victims and their families to bear.

What Are Some Common Injuries That May Result From A T-Bone Car Accident?

Side impact collisions can occur to the driver or any of the passenger’s doors. Due to the fact that the force of the collision is so close to the passenger seated on the side of the car, seatbelts do not generally help much to lower the risk of injury. Although it does minimize injuries by keeping the body stationary at the time of impact, it does not help prevent major injuries associated with T-bone crashes.

Some of the common injuries resulting from T-bone crashes include:

• Leg Injuries – when the impact from the collision is towards or near the bottom end of the car causing broken or crushed bones and lacerations
• Rib Injuries – Initial impact at the center of the car doors. These collisions can cause the door of the vehicle to break apart and cave in towards the body
• Hip Injuries – Impact here causes injuries such as a broken hip or displacement
• Head Injuries – commonly occurs on impact when the head jerks around and hits the doors or airbags
• Shoulder Injuries – Muscles/tendon tears, dislocated or broken shoulder
• Arm Injuries – Broken arms, lacerations and in worst-case scenarios complete severing of the arm.
• Back Injuries – Pinched nerves, back sprain, broken back and general damage to the spinal cord are common in car wrecks.
• Neck Injuries – Whiplash, neck strain and in worst cases a broken neck.

Why should you call a lawyer?

When you have been in a serious accident, it is understandable that you need time to rest and recuperate. But given the escalating medical bills and the burden of the paperwork for insurance claim, time is of the essence especially since some compensation procedures have time constraints. Putting off the process could devoid you of your rightful compensation. 

Also, using legal assistance can help fasten the due process and reduce your burden while filing a claim against the liable party.  

Calling a car accident lawyer in California could help you file a rightful and adequate compensation claim that can take care of your medical expenses and automobile restoration. 

How can a lawyer help you?

The evidence collected at the crash site is what is used primarily to build the case on your behalf. When you contact a lawyer for an accident injury claim, they will:

• Collect evidence against the defendant and build a case on your behalf
• Inform you of your rights as a victim in the accident
• Help decide the percentage of fault of the involved parties to attribute liability
• Negotiate a fair settlement with the liable parties on your behalf
• Take the liable parties to court if you are wronged
• Protect you from further damages caused by the accident e.g. secondary collision, long term medical effects, etc.

You might be surprised of how a little detail could help you get a rightful compensation. In some cases, the at-fault parties may include the car manufacturer, parts manufacturer or a medicated driver unaware of side effects. 

Unlike insensitive ambulance chasers, we at Krasney Law, understand your pain and suffering. We will help you build a solid case to explain the damages suffered and procure the adequate compensation you deserve with ease. 

How Car Accident Lawyer In California Can Help You!

A car accident lawyer near you can help recover medical expenses, or in cases of death, provide a family with compensation for the loss of a loved one. Call Krasney Law at (909) 380-7200.