Filing a Claim After a Side-Impact Car Crash
Car accidents can take many different forms. There are rear-end collisions, where a car driving in the same direction as vehicles behind and in front of it is struck from behind by the vehicle following. There are also side-swipe accidents, which tend to occur when two vehicles are traveling in the same direction and one attempts to change lanes when another vehicle is there or when one drifts into another lane. Head-on crashes, differently, happen when one vehicle is traveling the wrong way and strikes another vehicle head on. Another type of common and often deadly crash is the side-impact collision, which is also commonly described as a “T-bone” accident because of the shape created by the two vehicles in the crash.
In a side-impact or T-bone collision, one vehicle strikes another at a perpendicular angle, resulting in the front of one vehicle crashing, often with full force, into the side of another vehicle. Side-impact crashes can occur on the driver side or passenger side of a vehicle, depending on the circumstances of the accident. What do you need to know about filing a claim after one of these crashes? Consider the following information.
Learning More About Liability Side-Impact Crashes or T-Bone Collisions in Texas
In order to file a claim, you will need to determine who is liable for the side-impact collision in which you or a loved one got hurt.
How do these crashes occur? Most often, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), they result from one driver running a red light or stop sign at an intersection, and “T-boning” another vehicle. The NHTSA also reports that these types of crashes, after head-on accidents, have some of the highest fatality rates.
Personal Injury Versus Wrongful Death Lawsuits After Side-Impact or T-Bone Car Crashes
Should you be filing a personal injury or a wrongful death lawsuit after a side-impact collision? The answer to that question depends on whether you are the person who was injured in the crash, or whether you lost a loved one in the side-impact collision.
If you are filing a claim to seek compensation for your own injuries (and losses associated with your injuries), you will need to find out more about filing a personal injury lawsuit. If you are the surviving spouse, child, parent, or personal representative of the deceased’s estate from a fatal side-impact crash, then you will want to move forward with a wrongful death lawsuit. Both types of civil lawsuits have a two-year statute of limitations, with the clock on the personal injury claim beginning on the date of the injury and the clock on the wrongful death lawsuit beginning on the date of death.
Contact Our Texas Car Accident Attorneys to Begin Working on Your Claim for Compensation
Side-impact or T-bone collisions are among the most serious and the deadliest types of accidents that happen on Texas roads. Often, these types of collisions occur when another motorist runs a red light or a stop sign, or when a motorist makes an unlawful turn. It is important to hold the at-fault driver accountable for the harm they have caused. Whether you were injured yourself in a side-impact collision or a close family member suffered fatal injuries in a T-bone collision, you should get in touch with one of the experienced Texas car accident lawyers at John Reed, Attorney at Law to find out more about moving forward with a claim. Contact our office today to discuss the details of your case and your options.
Source:
nhtsa.gov/data
