Florida T-Bone Accidents

T-bone accidents are the most deadly car crashes, accounting for over 9,000 deaths in the U.S. in a single recent year—more than any other type of crash. Direct impact to the side of a car in an accident leaves occupants vulnerable to serious injuries because the sides of a vehicle lack the buffer zones of the extended front and back which absorb impacts in front and rear-end collisions. T-bone accidents in Florida sometimes result in serious injury and death. They also cause further distress to accident victims when it’s time to seek compensation for their injuries and property damage.

What is a T-bone accident and how do victims of these collisions recover their losses under Florida’s no-fault insurance laws?

What Is a T-Bone Accident and What Causes Them?

T-bone accidents occur in intersections as a vehicle exits from driveways and parking lots. They are also commonly called side-impact or angle collisions. In a T-bone accident, the front of one vehicle directly collides with the side of another vehicle, forming a T shape. Common Causes of T-bone collisions in Florida include the following:

• A driver runs a red light or stop sign and collides with a vehicle already in the intersection
• A driver exiting a driveway, parking lot, or side street enters a roadway and fails to yield the right of way to a vehicle already present in the roadway
• Distracted driving
• Intoxicated driving
• A slippery road or rear-end collision causes one vehicle to slide into an intersection and collide with a vehicle in the roadway

T-bone accidents can cause injuries to motorists in both of the involved vehicles but the occupants of the car that sustains the side impact face the greatest risk of injury due to the thinner structure of the vehicle’s doors and sides.

What Types of Injuries Occur in T-Bone Accidents in Florida?

A side-impact collision causes tremendous crash force, especially when both vehicles are traveling at full speed during the collision. Because the sides of motor vehicles offer the least amount of protection in a collision, injuries occur not only from the crash force but also from the inward crumpling of the sides and doors of the vehicle. Common injuries in T-bone accidents in Florida include the following:

• Traumatic head injuries
• Broken bones, including fractures of the ribs, hips, pelvis, clavicles, and limbs
• Back injuries
• Neck injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Spinal cord damage
• Internal organ damage
• Soft-tissue injuries
• Bruises, lacerations, and abrasions

Injuries in T-bone accidents range from those causing a single missed paycheck and medical co-payment to life-altering catastrophic injuries and death.

Liability in Florida Side-Impact Collisions

Florida’s no-fault insurance state presents significant challenges for those with serious injuries after a car accident, including T-bone collisions. Accident victims in Florida must file claims against their own insurance policies regardless of who caused the accident unless their injuries are catastrophic or cause permanent disability or disfigurement. Most Florida drivers have a $10,000 personal injury protection (PIP) coverage limit that’s woefully inadequate for serious injuries. A Florida car accident attorney helps victims of serious injuries recover the maximum amount of compensation available to them when another driver causes a T-bone accident. Proving liability for a car accident requires showing the following:

• The at-fault driver had a duty of care to take reasonable measures to prevent causing injury to others
• They breached this duty by negligence or recklessness
• Their breach of duty caused the accident and injuries
• The injury victims suffered economic and non-economic damages from the accident.

It takes a thorough investigation to document the evidence needed to prove an a-fault driver liable for a T-bone collision in Florida.

Do I Need a Florida Car Accident Lawyer After a T-Bone Accident?

Insurance claims in Florida are complex, especially when car accident victims have medical expenses and lost wages that far exceed the limits of their insurance coverage. An experienced Florida car accident lawyer navigates the claim process or lawsuit to help the victims of a T-bone accident recover their financial losses and compensation for pain and suffering as well as providing a sense of justice and accountability. Contact the Sarasota car accident lawyers and Bradenton car accident attorneys at Shapiro | Delgado | Hofmann online or call (941) 954-4000 today