What is a T-Bone Accident?
After any kind of car collision in Florida, it is critical to know your rights and to determine what options are available to you to seek compensation. Many kinds of Florida car crashes result in serious injuries, which may enable the injured party to seek compensation through an auto insurance claim and a personal injury lawsuit. One type of accident that often results in serious injuries is the T-bone accident, or side-impact crash. What is a T-bone accident? Our Brandon personal injury lawyers can explain how these accidents commonly occur and what you might be able to do to seek compensation for your losses.
What is a T-Bone Collision in Florida?
A T-bone collision is a common term to describe a side-impact collision, and these types of accidents can happen in a wide range of traffic situations. In most circumstances, however, T-bone accidents occur at intersections. Why is the crash called a T-bone accident? Since one vehicle crashes head-first into the side of another vehicle (creating a side impact), the two cars form a “T” shape.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), side-impact or T-bone crashes are among the deadliest types of accidents that occur. In 2020, T-bone collisions accounted for about 23 percent of all passenger vehicle occupant fatalities, including 26 percent of deaths for passengers in cars and 18 percent for passengers in pickup trucks or SUVs. The only type of accident that is deadlier is a frontal or head-on collision.
Seeking Compensation Following a T-Bone Collision
Under Florida’s no-fault insurance system, the first step after sustaining injuries in any type of accident is to file an auto insurance claim through your own personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. Florida law only allows an injured person to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party if the accident meets a serious injury threshold. According to the Florida Statutes, a person meets that threshold requirement and can file a lawsuit if one of the following is true of the injuries:
- Resulted in a “significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function”;
- Caused a “permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, other than scarring or disfigurement”;
- Led to “significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement”; or
- Resulted in a person’s death.
Who is at Fault for a T-Bone Accident?
To file a lawsuit and obtain damages, you will need to prove fault in the T-bone accident. Common ways of proving fault after a T-bone crash include, for example:
- Driver ran a red light;
- Driver ran a stop sign;
- Driver drove recklessly in a parking lot;
- Driver made an illegal turn;
- Driver was intoxicated; or
- Driver was distracted.
There are many ways that you may be able to prove fault, and the evidence you will need will depend on the facts of your case. An experienced Brandon car accident lawyer can assess your case today.
Contact a Brandon Auto Accident Lawyer
Do you need help filing a claim after a T-bone accident? One of the experienced Brandon car accident lawyers at our firm can assist you. Contact Carman, Bevington & Finegan for more information.