T-Bone Accidents

When one vehicle strikes another from the side, that forms a T and is called a T-bone accident. All T-bone accidents can yield deadly results, since the side of a vehicle offers less protection than the front or rear of the vehicle. A truck T-bone accident is more deadly due to the sheer size and weight of the truck involved. If you’re in such an accident, you’re in danger of severe injuries and even death. Once you receive medical care, call a T-bone truck accident lawyer, like the experts at RAM Law, to learn your legal rights for compensation. Truck accident litigation is a complicated affair, and you need an experienced lawyer on your side. Call today.

What Is a T-Bone Truck Accident?

A T-bone accident occurs when one vehicle collides with the side of another vehicle at a perpendicular or near-perpendicular angle. T-bone accidents are also known as broadside or side-impact collisions. They typically occur at intersections or in parking lots, when one vehicle fails to yield the right of way or runs a red light or stop sign. In some cases, T-bone accidents can also occur on highways and local roads when one vehicle skids out of control.

This type of accident can be particularly dangerous because the side of a vehicle offers less protection than the front or rear. A T-bone accident places you at risk of serious injuries or even death if you’re in the car hit on its side. The severity of injuries in a truck T-bone accident depends on the force of the crash and the size of the truck. If you’re in the vehicle that’s struck on the side, you can experience:

• Head trauma
• Spinal cord injuries
• Internal organ damage
• Back and neck injuries
• Broken bones

If you get hit broadside in a truck T-bone accident, you and your passengers likely need immediate medical assistance. Once you’re stable and you’ve notified the authorities and your insurance company, take the time to find the best T-bone truck accident lawyers in New Jersey. When you need to sue a trucking company to be properly compensated for your damages and injuries, contact RAM Law.

What Are Some Statistics Associated with T-Bone Accidents?

T-bone accidents are a less common type of traffic accident in the US, but they’re also more deadly. Some important nationwide T-bone accident statistics include:

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), side-impact crashes accounted for approximately 23 percent of all fatal passenger vehicle crashes in the United States in 2019.
• The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that occupants on the struck side of a vehicle during a T-bone accident are at a higher risk of severe injury or death than those in other types of accidents.
• IIHS also found that vehicles with better side-impact crash protection, such as side airbags and strong side structures, have lower injury rates in T-bone accidents.
• According to a report from the National Safety Council, driver behavior is a leading cause of T-bone accidents. Actions such as running red lights, failing to yield the right of way and driving while distracted contribute to a significant number of truck T-bone accidents each year.
• The NHTSA reports that intersection-related crashes, which include T-bone accidents, account for approximately 20 percent of all traffic fatalities in the US.
• The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that side-impact collisions are a significant concern for large commercial buses and trucks, as these vehicles have a higher center of gravity and are more prone to rolling over in a truck T-bone accident.
• The FMCSA also found that driver error, such as failing to yield the right of way or misjudging the speed of other vehicles, is a common cause of T-bone accidents involving large trucks.

Truck T-bone accidents usually result in severe injuries and fatalities. To reduce the risk of injury in the event of one of these accidents, you have to follow the local traffic laws, pay attention to your surroundings, keep a safe distance from other vehicles and make use of available safety equipment, such as seatbelts and airbags.

How Does a Larger Vehicle Result in Worse Injuries?

In general, the bigger the vehicle that hits you in a truck T-bone accident, the greater the potential for serious injury or fatality. Large commercial trucks — like big rigs, semi-trucks 18-wheelers, flatbed trucks and tankers — tend to have more mass and force behind them, which cause more significant damage than smaller vehicles like passenger cars. The severity of your injuries depends on many factors, including:

• The speed and angle of impact
• The location of the collision
• The safety features of the vehicles involved

Regardless of the size of the vehicles involved, you and your passengers are safer if you wear seatbelts and use other safety equipment, such as airbags, in the accident. Additionally, following traffic laws and driving defensively does prevent T-bone accidents and keep everyone on the road safe. But after an accident, seek the guidance of an expert T-bone truck accident lawyer from RAM Law to protect your rights.

What Are the Different Types of T-Bone Accidents?

T-bone accidents can occur in a variety of situations and in a number of locations throughout New Jersey. Some of the most common examples of truck T-bone accidents include:

• Intersection collisions. Truck T-bone accidents often occur at intersections, usually due to illegal turns. If a driver fails to yield to oncoming traffic and tries to make a left turn at an intersection, either that vehicle hits the side of an oncoming vehicle, or one or more of the oncoming vehicles broadside the vehicle making the turn, resulting in a T-bone accident.
• Parking lot collisions. T-bone truck accidents can also occur in parking lots. When one driver backs out of a parking space without checking for oncoming traffic or fails to follow the designated traffic patterns, a T-bone accident results. In busy parking lots, sometimes tractor trailers arrive to deliver goods or foods, and it’s up to other drivers to avoid a truck T-bone accident.
• Highway collisions. Highway collisions can become truck T-bone accidents when one driver crosses the median and skids into the oncoming lane of traffic, making the side of the vehicle flush with the oncoming traffic. Truck T-bone accidents are also possible when a large truck jackknifes. In this case, the trailer of a tractor trailer skids sideways as the cab brakes. This may cause the trailer to become perpendicular to the following traffic, leading to truck T-bone accidents.

Pedestrians may be involved in or even cause truck T-bone accidents. If they cross the street illegally at an intersection, a driver may fail to stop and collide with the pedestrian. If the pedestrian was crossinglegally in the crosswalk, but the oncoming vehicle failed to stop at the traffic light or stop sign, not only does that vehicle hit the pedestrian, it also results in a T-bone accident with vehicles crossing the intersection with the green light or right-of-way.

How Can an Attorney Help Me after a T-Bone Accident Situation?

A T-bone truck accident lawyer first explains your rights as a truck T-bone accident victim. Once you hire an experienced trucking accident lawyer from RAM Law, the legal team gets to work immediately to find the cause of the accident and prove liability. RAM Law investigators gather and protect evidence, building a case to show that you weren’t at fault. Some ways that your lawyer helps you include:

1. Investigation. A T-bone truck accident lawyer conduct a thorough investigation of the accident scene, interviews witnesses and gathers physical evidence. This supports the determination of the accident’s cause, pointing to who was at fault.
2. Accident reconstruction. In cases where liability is disputed, a T-bone truck accident lawyer works with accident reconstruction experts to recreate the accident and show how it occurred, based on the evidence. This type of expert witness is particularly helpful in cases where there are no witnesses or conflicting stories from the drivers involved.
3. Review of police reports. Your T-bone truck accident lawyer reviews the police reports and any traffic citations issued at the scene to gather evidence of fault.
4. Determination of liability. The cause of truck T-bone accidents is often driver negligence or negligence of the trucking company. Governmental agencies, the manufacturer of the truck, the maintenance team or the cargo loaders may all share in the liability, complicating the case, but holding everyone accountable for their actions.
5. Review of medical records. Your RAM Law attorney reviews all the medical records to show the extent of injuries and how they were caused by the accident. Note that you should keep a record of all your expenses related to the accident, including the time and miles to see medical staff.
6. Negotiations. One of the most useful skills your T-bone truck accident lawyer brings to your case is expert negotiation skills. Your attorney acts on your behalf when communicating with the insurance company or the truck driver’s legal representation to reach a settlement that’s fair to you and your needs.

Liability in truck T-bone accidents is often complex. Proving fault may require a thorough investigation, expert testimony and intimate knowledge of the law. If you or a loved one has been involved in a T-bone accident, seek legal representation to protect your rights and pursue fair compensation for your injuries and damages. Contact RAM Law in New Jersey to improve your chances of receiving fair compensation for your injuries and damages after a truck T-bone accident.