Intersection and T-Bone Truck Accidents

T-bone collisions are inherently dangerous just by the nature of the impact of the vehicles and the potential for a high-speed crash. However, when a T-bone collision involves a semi-truck, fatalities often result. T-bone truck accidents are often the result of distracted driving or underqualified or overworked truck drivers. When truck drivers or third-party drivers make errors at an intersection or ignore traffic laws, they are more likely to be involved in serious accidents. In many cases, these truck drivers ignore traffic laws or federal trucking regulations, increasing the likelihood of a dangerous T-bone truck accident.

In a T-bone truck accident, the front end of one vehicle strikes another vehicle’s right or left side, forming a T-shape. Most T-bone truck accidents occur at intersections. Typically, one motorist disregards a stoplight, stop sign, or red light. Alternatively, one vehicle may drive through the intersection into moving traffic, striking another vehicle’s right or left side.

Deadly T-bone truck accidents typically occur at intersections but can also occur on freeways and interstates. When a driver loses control of the vehicle, the vehicle may begin skidding sideways. The driver who has lost control may collide with the front or side of another vehicle. T-bone accidents can also happen in parking lots. One vehicle may be backing out of its parking space when they strike the front or back panel or doors of another vehicle driving straight by.

T-bone collisions are often hazardous. The point of contact between the two vehicles in a T-Bone accident puts passengers in both vehicles at high risk of injury. The impact of a T-bone accident can cause a sudden jerk, throwing passengers and motorists sideways. Victims who were injured in T-bone accidents can experience many different types of injuries. However, some of the most common injuries experienced by T-bone truck accident victims include the following:

• Whiplash
• Muscle sprains
• Strains to the head, neck, and shoulders
• Spinal cord injuries
• Broken neck vertebrae
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)

Some of the most common types of injuries involve the neck and back. When a semi-truck collides with a passenger vehicle, the force of the T-bone accident can cause extensive damage to the delicate spinal cord. Many T-bone accidents have caused herniated discs, back sprains, broken vertebrae, and severed or swollen spinal columns.

To recover compensation after a T-bone accident, the victim must prove that the other party was at fault and liable for their injuries. Many T-bone accidents happen when two vehicles enter an intersection simultaneously; therefore, determining who was at fault can be challenging. Typically, when a police officer creates a report for a T-bone collision, the officer will determine which driver was at fault for the crash.

However, police officers often do not have all the resources to correctly determine who was at fault. They have to make a quick decision based on the facts available to them. We recommend hiring one of our skilled attorneys to determine who is at fault. We will extensively research the accident to determine which vehicle had the right of way based on traffic lights, signage, or other controlled stops when the accident occurred.

We can hire expert investigators to recreate the accident scene to prove that the other driver was at fault. If there is any available surveillance camera footage or other video evidence of the accident, we will try to obtain it. Additionally, we will interview witnesses to the accident to gather evidence showing who was at fault.

If you have been T-boned by a commercial vehicle, you may be entitled to compensation from the commercial vehicle driver and their employer. For example, suppose a truck driver who caused the T-bone accident was intoxicated with alcohol, and the employer failed to run a background check that would have shown prior DUI charges. In that case, you may be able to sue the driver's employer. You may be able to claim compensation from the commercial trucking company’s insurance policy.

T-bone accidents are always dangerous, but they are especially dangerous when a large truck is involved. If you or a loved one has been injured in a T-bone truck accident, you need an experienced attorney on your side. Contact the skilled attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, today at 704.370.2828 to schedule your free initial consultation.