T-Bone Accidents: Navigating the Complexities of Side-Impact Crashes

Millions of people use passenger vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and trucks as common forms of transportation throughout the country. Regardless of what kind of vehicle you choose to drive, everyone must abide by the rules of the road and take safety precautions. We all have an obligation to everyone else on the road to follow all traffic laws and drive as carefully as possible.

Unfortunately, even though most motorists drive defensively, carelessness and negligence still occur. When they do, they often cause significant injuries and wrongful deaths in car accidents, which can occur in the blink of an eye. Moreover, a T-bone or side-impact collision is roughly four times as likely to cause a serious head injury than any other kind of crash configuration.

T-bone automobile accident victims often have life-changing injuries in Texas, typically requiring many hospitalizations and surgery. Unfortunately, some die in these crashes, leaving their families to pick up the pieces and figure out how to move on, often facing mounting expenses and an uncertain future.

Accident victims or surviving family members should hire an experienced auto accident attorney as soon as possible after a traumatic car accident. An attorney familiar with T-bone accidents in Texas will know how to prove fault in these cases and advocate effectively for their clients, ensuring the maximum possible compensation is obtained.

Common Causes of T-Bone Accidents

According to research conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board, distracted driving accounts for the lion's share of these incidents. T-bone accidents, also called broadside crashes and side-impact collisions, occur when one car slams into the side of another, often at an intersection. Most crash configurations, when seen from above, resemble the letter "T" and are generally caused by:

• Running red lights
• Inattentive driving
• Making a turn while the roadway is partially obscured
• Aggression when driving (road rage)
• General disregard for the rules of the road
• Speeding or misjudging the distance between two vehicles

Liability in Texas T-Bone Collisions

Drivers in the Lone Star State should have a fundamental understanding of fault as it applies to car accidents. Approximately a dozen other states have some no-fault vehicle insurance system, meaning that after a collision, drivers use their own insurance to make claims for injuries and some out-of-pocket expenditures, regardless of who was at fault. Texas, however, is a fault state. You will most likely be filing a claim with the insurance company of the driver who was at fault if you get injured or experience property damage.

Comparative Fault in a Texas Car Accident

However, keeping Texas's comparative modified negligence law in mind is also important. Consider the following scenario: a jury comes to the conclusion that the total amount of your award for damages should be $150,000. On the other hand, the jury concludes that you share 30% of the fault for the crash, perhaps because you were driving too quickly for the conditions or because you failed to signal.

In the above example, you can get 70% of the total damages, or $105,000, per the comparative negligence laws in Texas. In this scenario, you would still recover a sizeable amount of money, but it may not cover all of the money that you lost.

Comparative negligence plays an important role in how the claims adjuster for your auto insurance company evaluates your claim. In the end, a claims adjuster will base their decisions on what they believe would happen if the case were brought before a judge. Insurance companies often use comparative negligence to drive down how much they owe in personal injury cases, so beware.

That said, do not let the prospect of dealing with bureaucracy and red tape deter you from pursuing a settlement or a lawsuit following a vehicle accident. Instead, you should speak with a personal injury attorney in Dallas about your predicament and the most appropriate course for you and your family. Your attorney can negotiate with the insurance company to ensure you get a fair deal.

T-Bone Collisions and Insurance Companies in Texas

Remember that Lone Star State drivers are required to report auto accidents in Texas to the local sheriff’s office (for wrecks located outside of a municipality). It is particularly vital to contact the authorities if the occurrence resulted in injuries or deaths, or if the damage to a vehicle prohibits it from being driven away safely. However, Texas is not one of the states that require policyholders involved in a car accident to report to their auto insurance, nor does it have such a law.

However, generally, most auto insurance policies require the policyholder to report an accident to the insurer promptly. The sooner the insurance company is informed of an accident, the sooner it can investigate or defend a claim.  The insurer may deny coverage for a collision if the insured fails to report the incident within a particular (“reasonable”) period of time. Depending on the circumstances, an insurance provider may permit less than one week to file a claim after a car accident.

Call a Dallas Accident Attorney After a Head-on Crash in Texas

Tens of thousands of families in our state are impacted in some way by T-bone accidents and other related incidents.

If you are coping with the consequences of a car crash, you should not hesitate to contact a personal injury lawyer in Dallas. It's possible that you could get compensated for your injuries and upcoming financial obligations, depending on the circumstances.

At the Rasansky Law Firm in Dallas, our staff has over thirty years of expertise in helping victims of accidents caused by careless and reckless drivers go on with their lives. Our clientele receives trustworthy legal counsel from our group of experienced and well-regarded attorneys who work together as a team. We are willing to explore the circumstances surrounding your accident and assess the legal options available to you.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a vehicle accident in the state of Texas and you are concerned about the legal alternatives that are available to you in the aftermath, then do not hesitate to contact our legal team at 214-651-6100. Our Dallas car accident lawyers will provide a free evaluation of your case at any time, seven days a week, to ensure that you have the best chance of securing justice after a wreck has upended your life.