What is a T-Bone Accident?
A T-bone accident happens when a vehicle crashes into the side of another vehicle forming the shape of a ‘T’. This type of accident is also known as a broadside or side-impact collision.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Side Impact Collisions?
T-bones usually happen at intersections when one driver fails to obey a stop sign or signal. T- bones account for a significant proportion of fatal and severe injury accidents at intersections every year.
What Are the Most Common Injuries from Side Impact Collisions?
Side impact accidents often result in traumatic injuries such as spinal cord or neck injuries, as well as major bone injuries like fractured ribs, broken pelvis, fractured legs and arms, and serious head trauma.
Side impact accidents often seal doors on the impacted vehicle and require an extraction tool to free the passengers. Side impact airbags cushion the blows but the forces are often so great that airbags will not completely absorb the impact. According to a study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, side-impact collisions can seriously injure children, especially when they are unrestrained.
What is a Rear-End Accident?
A rear-end accident occurs when a moving or non-moving vehicle is hit from behind by another moving vehicle. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the number one cause of rear-end collisions is driver inattention or negligence.
One study showed that rear-end accidents make up about 29% of all accidents that end in serious injuries. The Insurance Information Institute also estimates that over 7% of all traffic-related deaths are caused by rear-end crashes. The reverse direction of force from a rear-end collision often causes painful back injuries and whiplash to drivers and passengers.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Rear-End Collisions?
Rear-end accidents are common and the number one contributor to these accidents is usually speeding. Rear-end collisions are almost always caused by a driver going too fast for traffic conditions or following too closely.
Distracted driving is also a major cause of rear-end accidents. Texting, cell phone use, and other attention-grabbing issues distract the driver. Distracted driving has several components, but talking or texting on an electronic device is likely the most common.
It is illegal in Florida to text while driving. Drivers who text while they drive may feel they are only distracted for a split second, but in fact, they can cover the length of a football field in five seconds if they are going 55 miles per hour. Rear-end collisions often cause multi-car accidents where a vehicle hits the back of another vehicle pushing it into the back of another vehicle, and so on.
What Are the Most Common Injuries from Rear-End Collisions?
Whiplash of the cervical region of the spine is a common injury that can require months of rehabilitation and treatment. Often the injuries are severe and permanent.
Whiplash occurs when the neck and head are suddenly forced backward and forward, putting the cervical spine through quick motions and extreme stress. Whiplash symptoms may present at the time of the whiplash injury, or there could be a delay before they appear.
Why Hire an Auto Accident Lawyer?
T-bone and rear-end accidents can cause catastrophic injuries and may be life-changing. The victims of these accidents often have huge medical bills and sometimes suffer permanent disability and disfigurement.
If an accident victim does not survive due to the negligence of someone else, the surviving family members or the estate may file a wrongful death claim against the at-fault party. An attorney with auto accident experience is the best person to have by your side in a T-bone or rear-end accident case.
It is critical to be aware of the Statutes of Limitations, which are strict restrictions on how long an injured person may wait to file a claim or lawsuit against a wrongdoer. To be eligible for PIP medical insurance benefits in Florida, victims injured in a motor vehicle accident must seek initial services and care from specified providers within 14 days after the motor vehicle accident. For more details on this, see Section 627.736(1)(a), of the Florida Statutes.
Treatment of sustained injuries may be costly, painful, and could take months, or even years. An experienced accident attorney can aggressively seek the financial compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering and for the expenses of your medical treatment and needed care.
Why Fernandez & Hernandez?
Auto Accident Attorney Martin J. Hernandez can help guide you through the process of filing a claim or an injury lawsuit. For your best chance at recovery, it is important that you reach out to us as soon as possible.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a T-bone or rear-end accident and need help getting compensation for your injuries, call Tampa Personal Injury Attorney, Martin J. Hernandez of Fernandez & Hernandez at 813.755.9500 or go online to sign up for your free one-on-one attorney consultation.
