Determining Fault for a Side-Impact Collision is Important

Many Florida residents are finding that our state’s aging infrastructure can’t keep up with the increasing number of vehicles on our roadways. Intersections, for instance, which are supposed to make it safer and easier to drive in Tampa are more dangerous for motorists than ever, who are at risk of being involved in a side-impact or t-bone collision. While it can be difficult to determine fault in these kinds of cases, doing so is possible with the help of an experienced attorney who can assess whether someone violated a right-of-way law, whether traffic signals were operational, and whether any other factors contributed to an accident.

Why Side-Impact Crashes are Serious 

Side-impact, or t-bone collisions, occur when the front of one vehicle strikes the other on its side, forming a T-shape. These kinds of crashes occur in any location where there are multiple vehicles traveling in different directions, but most occur at intersections and in parking lots. Unfortunately, side-impact crashes also tend to have higher injury rates, partly because:

• The sides of vehicles have fewer built-in structural protections, as occupants are only shielded from impact by a thin metal door and a glass window.
• The impact is focused on more vulnerable parts of the body, like the chest and head;
• The struck driver can take little evasive action to minimize the crash, as they usually are not even aware of the impending danger until the crash occurs; and
• One of the vehicles is often much larger than the other, as more and more people are choosing to drive SUVs.

For these reasons, the vehicle damage and injuries sustained in side-impact crashes are almost always serious, especially for the vehicle (and occupant) that were struck.

Fault Matters in a Side-Impact Crash

 Although Florida is a no-fault state, determining who caused an accident can still play an important role in a victim’s recovery. This is because injured party’s are permitted to step outside of the no-fault system if they suffer serious injuries (which is often the case in side-impact accident scenarios). To qualify as serious, a victim’s injury must fall under one or more of the following categories:

• Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function;
• Permanent injury;
• Significant and permanent disfigurement or scarring; or
• Death.

An accident victim who sustains an injury that satisfies this standard could be entitled to damages if they can also prove that their crash was the result of someone else’s negligence. Fortunately, even an injured party’s own carelessness won’t bar him or her from recovery, as long as that person wasn’t more than 50 percent to blame for the crash.

Recovery for Side-Impact Accidents 

If you were injured in a side-impact crash, you are likely facing hefty medical bills and vehicle repair costs. At Anderson & Anderson, we can help assess these losses, as well as walk you through your legal options for covering those costs. Call us at 813-251-0072 to speak with one of our experienced Tampa t-bone crash lawyers about your case.

Sources:

 forbes.com/advisor/legal/auto-accident/t-bone-accident/

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699/0627/Sections/0627.737.html