A T-bone accident occurs when the front of one vehicle collides with the side of another vehicle. It’s one of the deadliest types of accidents that occur on Georgia’s roads. The severity of the impact involved in a T-bone collision often leads to serious injuries for those involved in the accident, particularly for the occupants of the vehicle struck in the side.
Broadside accidents often occur at intersections where vehicles converge at right angles. If one driver runs a red light or disregards a stop sign, a T-bone or side-impact accident may occur. The driver that failed to yield the right-of-way may be struck in the side or slam into the side of another vehicle passing through the intersection at the same time. It can be difficult to determine who is to blame in a T-bone accident unless there are witnesses. It’s crucial to have an experienced attorney on your side who can investigate the accident and gather evidence to pinpoint the fault.
If you’ve been involved in a T-bone accident in Georgia, turn to the motor vehicle accident attorneys of Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., for help. For nearly 30 years, our attorneys have been fighting to help injured clients across Georgia pursue compensation and accountability from negligent parties responsible for causing accidents.
We work to provide each of our clients with the personalized, effective legal representation that they deserve. We often are successful in settling cases outside of court. However, the top Douglasville auto accident attorneys at Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., have the experience and resources to handle your T-bone accident case through a civil trial if necessary.
Contact our law firm today for a free initial case review. Our attorneys will discuss the details of the T-bone accident that injured you. Learn about your legal rights and how a car accident lawyer can help you fight for financial compensation for the harm and losses you’ve suffered. We can even help with a wrongful death case if you’ve lost a loved one to one to a fatal car accident caused by a T-bone collision.
What Is a T-Bone Accident?
A T-bone accident refers to a type of collision where the front of one vehicle collides with the side of another vehicle at a right angle. The two vehicles form a “T” shape at the moment of collision. These accidents frequently occur at intersections.
T-bone accidents often cause serious injuries for the occupants of the vehicle being struck in its side. Vehicles have more mass in the front and back, which are designed with crumple zones to absorb the force of the impact. By comparison, the sides offer less protection. The occupants of a car struck in the side receive much of the impact of a T-bone accident, especially any passenger sitting next to the door that is the site of the impact.
What Injuries Are Common in GA T-Bone Accidents?
Given the angle of the impact between the two vehicles involved in a T-bone accident, these collisions commonly result in serious injuries for vehicle occupants. Common injuries from side-impact collisions include:
- Severe lacerations and bleeding
- Dislocated joints
- Sprained and torn ligaments, tendons, and muscles
- Bone fractures
- Neck and back injuries
- Whiplash injuries
- Crush injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injury
- Amputation
What Factors Can Affect Fault in a T-Bone Collision?
Many different factors will determine which drivers bear responsibility for causing a T-bone accident. First, investigators or juries must consider which driver had the right-of-way at the time. The driver who failed to yield the right-of-way when required at an intersection will typically bear liability.
However, insurers or juries must also consider whether either driver operated their vehicle carelessly or recklessly to contribute to the accident. Even if a driver had the right-of-way, other negligent behaviors like speeding or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs may affect fault for a T-bone collision. For example, a speeding driver has less time to notice traffic in the intersection or slow down or stop when another vehicle enters.
How Are the Insurance Companies Involved in Proving Fault?
Most successful car accident claims end in a settlement with the insurance company. Auto insurers assume liability on the part of their policyholders. When their policyholder causes an accident, they’re financially responsible for the consequences. As a result, insurers play a significant role in determining fault for a T-bone collision.
After a crash, an insurance adjuster will investigate by obtaining and reviewing evidence, such as:
- Police crash reports
- Witness statements
- Accident scene photos and videos
- Surveillance or traffic camera footage
The adjuster will assess vehicle speed, traffic controls, and weather and road conditions. They will use their training and experience to determine what happened in the collision and identify who is to blame. If the insurance company finds that its policyholder caused the T-bone accident, it may accept liability for the crash and negotiate a settlement with the other drivers and passengers involved.
How Do Traffic Signals Influence Who Is at Fault in T-Bone Crashes?
Traffic signals and signs help control traffic entering an intersection to prevent T-bone collisions. Intersections off main roads likely use stop or yield signs.
A stop sign requires drivers to stop before entering the intersection and wait until the intersection clears of traffic before proceeding. Right-of-way rules govern the order in which multiple vehicles arriving simultaneously at a stop sign-controlled intersection may proceed. For example, when two drivers on perpendicular streets arrive at the intersection at the same time, right-of-way rules hold that the driver on the left must yield to the driver on the right.
A yield sign allows a driver to proceed through the intersection only if it is clear of traffic before the driver reaches it. A driver who doesn’t follow right-of-way rules at a sign-controlled intersection may bear responsibility for causing a T-bone collision.
In Georgia, most traffic signals use a red/yellow/green system. These traffic signals can determine who has the right-of-way and who may be at fault:
- Green light – A driver with a green light can proceed through the intersection. They may bear responsibility for an accident if they tried to get a “jump” on the green light and entered the intersection before their light changed or unreasonably accelerated before waiting for traffic to clear.
- Yellow light – Yellow lights indicate that drivers should prepare to stop at the intersection if they can safely brake and stop. If they cannot, they may go through the intersection with caution. A driver who enters an intersection through a yellow light may bear fault for a T-bone crash if they could have stopped but instead chose to speed and “beat” the yellow light.
- Red light – A red light requires drivers to stop. A driver who disregards a red light may bear liability for causing a T-bone collision.
- Blinking light – Disabled or malfunctioning traffic signals may display a blinking green, yellow, or red light. Blinking green lights allow drivers to proceed through the intersection. Drivers should treat blinking yellow lights as yield signs and blinking red lights as stop signs.
What Are Common Causes of T-Bone Collisions?
Most T-bone collisions at intersections happen because one or more of the involved drivers behave negligently. Examples include:
- Speeding or driving too fast for conditions
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Trying to beat a yellow light
- Failing to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic or traffic passing through the intersection
- Failing to yield the right-of-way at traffic circles
- Turning left without signaling
- Stopping unnecessarily in the intersection
- Entering the intersection without yielding to pedestrians in the crosswalk
- Aggressive driving or road rage
- Reckless driving, including excessive speeding, street racing, or swerving around traffic
- Distracted driving, including texting while driving
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Drowsy driving
Other factors that can cause or contribute to T-bone collisions include bad weather and poor road conditions. Vehicle mechanical issues (such as brake failure) caused by inadequate maintenance or design and manufacturing defects may also lead to these crashes.
How Severe Can T-Bone Collisions Be?
The point of impact involved in T-bone collisions makes them particularly severe. Passenger vehicles have crumple zones built into their front and rear to absorb the force of a crash and prevent it from being transferred onto occupants. However, the sides of a vehicle do not benefit from this critical safety feature. Although many newer vehicles have curtain airbags that deploy along the walls of the passenger cabin, these often aren’t enough to prevent serious injuries.
Many T-bone collisions occur because a driver fails to stop for a red light or stop sign or speeds to beat a yellow light. This means a T-bone accident may involve vehicles traveling with considerable momentum. The momentum can increase the force of a collision and even cause the struck vehicle to flip on its side or roll over – with potentially devastating consequences.
How Is Fault Determined in a T-Bone Accident in Georgia?
Insurance companies determine fault when evaluating an accident claim. If the fault remains a point of dispute and the case goes to trial, then a civil court jury will determine fault for a T-bone accident.
A jury may review multiple pieces of evidence to try to determine what happened in the moments leading up to the collision. Examples of evidence commonly used in T-bone accident cases include:
- Police accident reports
- Vehicle damage/repair reports
- Accident scene photos/video
- Surveillance camera or dashcam footage
- Other physical evidence from the crash scene
- Eyewitness statements
- Statements from the drivers and vehicle occupants
- Accident reconstruction reports prepared by expert witnesses
In many cases, the fault for a T-bone accident may depend on whether either driver violated traffic laws in the moments leading up to the crash. For example, if a driver runs a red light and hits another vehicle, the driver would normally be held at fault because he or she violated the other driver’s right-of-way by failing to stop at the light. If the driver whose vehicle is T-boned was the motorist who ran the traffic signal, he or she may be held primarily at fault for the accident.
Determining fault for a T-bone crash is required under Georgia’s modified comparative negligence rule. The rule states that an injured party may pursue a claim for compensation so long as their share of fault for the accident and their injuries is less than 50 percent. However, any share of fault that the injured party does bear will affect the compensation they receive.
For example, if a person sustains $50,000 in losses from a T-bone accident, and he or she is found to have been 25 percent at fault for that accident, their total compensation may be reduced by $12,500 to reflect that 25 percent share of fault.
Do I Need Legal Help to Prove the Other Driver Was at Fault in a GA T-Bone Accident?
If you’ve been involved in a T-bone accident and you were injured, you need to speak to an attorney regarding your legal rights and how an experienced attorney can help you pursue a claim for your injuries and losses. No matter how clear-cut liability for the accident may seem to you, you can still face significant obstacles in pursuing compensation.
For example, the insurance company may try to argue that your injuries are not as serious as you claim or were caused by a pre-existing condition rather than the T-bone accident. The insurance company or at-fault driver might try to argue that you bear some of the fault for the crash, which might reduce your compensation or potentially even bar you from pursuing your claim.
An attorney can help you understand your rights and options for seeking compensation and provide an honest assessment regarding the potential or likely outcomes of your case. An attorney can advocate on your behalf with insurance adjusters and defense lawyers for the at-fault driver to pursue your claim so that you can stay focused on your physical and emotional recovery.
Is There a Statute of Limitations for a T-Bone Accident Injury Lawsuit?
Yes, there IS a time limit. In the state of Georgia, you have two years in which to file your personal injury lawsuit for your t-bone accident injuries. Once those two years have passed, you’ll have forfeited your chances to have your injury lawsuit heard in court. If you are considering filing that lawsuit, be sure to contact our law firm as soon as possible. We will need to perform research and investigation for your accident to have as much information as possible when we go to trial for you.
Contact a Georgia T-Bone Accident Lawyer Today
When you need an attorney to help you seek compensation for your injuries and losses from the at-fault driver in a T-bone accident, turn to the Douglasville personal injury attorneys of Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., for a free, no-obligation consultation. Discuss your legal rights and options for pursuing financial recovery with a knowledgeable Georgia motor vehicle accident attorney today. We’ve been helping people injured in car crashes for years, and we are ready to help you.
