T-Bone Accident Lawyer - Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers

Side Impact Collisions

Every year, roughly 3.18 million side-impact accidents occur in the United States, according to Yale researchers. Side impact crashes account for 25% of injuries and 28% of fatalities, according to the latest statistics. The front end of a vehicle can absorb two to five times the amount of force as the side panels, so injuries can be quite severe.

Louisiana car crash injury attorney Bart Bernard has secured millions of dollars on behalf of plaintiffs injured in this type of devastating crash. He has recovered compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, disability, emotional pain and suffering, funeral expenses, and wrongful death. Call today to obtain free legal counsel regarding your case.

T-boned? What to do next

The best steps you can take to build a strong case are to:

Obtain driver and insurance information from the party that hit you
Jot down all information you can remember about the weather, where you were going, and what happened
Call the police to file an official accident report
Get the contact information of any eyewitnesses who can corroborate your story
Take photographs of the scene and any injuries sustained.

Once an accident occurs, injured parties are not only interested in obtaining compensation for losses, but also in getting on with life. The best steps you can take in the weeks that follow are to:

See a doctor immediately who can medically document any injuries you have suffered
Contact the at-fault driver’s insurance company to start a claim investigation
Call a national rental car agency like Enterprise to let them know you need a car, but intend for insurance to pay
Visit a drive-through center recommended by your insurance agency to assess and document vehicle damage
Take your car to the collision repair shop of your choice with the check from your insurance agency
If your car was totaled, seek valuation offers from both your insurance company and the other driver’s insurer
If you have disability-related work limitations, get physical restrictions in writing to make a case for lost wages.

Common side impact collision injuries

Severe injuries to the chest, head, abdomen and pelvis are observed in side impact crashes, regardless of seating position. Common injuries in T-bone accidents include:

Severe head trauma
Internal organ perforation
Neck and spine injuries that may result in paralysis
Crushing injuries to the limbs, including amputations
Bruising and broken bones in the chest, abdomen and pelvis

Side collision statistics

The National Highway Safety Administration estimates that 28.9 percent of all US crashes (1,779,000 accidents) involve side impact collisions.

The following information comes from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety:

30% of car occupants, 20% of pickup truck occupants and 19% of SUV occupants were killed in T-bones.
Side impacts accounted for 5 deaths per million passengers (vs. 12 deaths for frontal / 1 death for rear impacts.)
Side impacts caused 16% of rollover deaths.

Over the years, side air bags, design improvements and vehicle safety ratings have helped consumers limit their risk of injury. The IIHS explains that a driver of a vehicle with a “good” side crash rating is 70 percent less likely to die in a left-side crash compared to 49 percent for a driver of a vehicle that is rated “marginal”. Even so, the best safety features cannot protect individuals from harm under certain circumstances.

How to prevent a broadside collision

The best a person can do to prevent a side-impact collision is to pay attention to your surroundings, obey all traffic signs and signals, pause and look both ways before entering an intersection even if the light is green, and purchase a car that offers better safety ratings and protection for this type of accident. When faced with an impending side collision, look for an escape route and brake or accelerate quickly, turning your vehicle away from the oncoming vehicle if you can.

Who is at fault in a T bone car accident?

Broadside collisions are most commonly caused by a failure to yield right of way, so T bone accident fault is typically assigned to the driver of the impacting vehicle. Running traffic lights and speeding are often uncovered in T bone accident investigations.

Average T bone car accident settlement

Each case is unique, so there is no such thing as an “average T bone car accident settlement.” The amount of compensation depends upon how debilitating the plaintiff’s injuries are, the amount of financial loss suffered as a result of disability, losses suffered by a spouse or dependents, and evidence supporting the plaintiff’s version of what happened.

The following settlements and jury verdicts were obtained by Bart Bernard for his clients:

$300,000: Back surgery
$325,000: Neck & shoulder injuries
$390,000: Head injury & leg fracture
$925,000: Knee surgery

Broadsided? Speak with a T-bone accident lawyer

The Bart Bernard Injury Lawyers is dedicated to helping clients recover fair compensation from accidents involving cars, motorcycles, trucks, SUVs and 18-wheelers. You have one year from the time of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit for your T bone accident. Contact Bart Bernard as soon as possible to begin investigating your claim.