Either driver can be at fault in a T-bone accident in Georgia. T-bone accidents usually happen because one driver did not yield right of way while passing through an intersection. Investigation is often needed to prove which driver is at fault.
A T-bone accident happens when one car crashes directly into the side of another car. Most T-bone accidents happen at intersections and involve drivers traveling at right angles to one another. Because T-bone collisions can cause serious injuries and the cause may not be obvious, it is important to get help from a car accident lawyer if you have been in a T-bone accident.
Why are T-Bone accidents so serious?
Car manufacturers have developed many safety features to minimize the injuries suffered in car accidents. These include improved bumpers, seat belts and driver and passenger seat air bags. If your car suffers an impact in the front or rear, there is a considerable distance between the point of impact and your body.
But if you are “T-Boned,” the force of the accident hits the side of your car, where there is much less protection. Many cars do not have side air bags, and there isn’t much separating your body and the point of impact. This means that T-bone accidents are some of the most dangerous collisions of all.
T-bone accidents can cause severe and permanent injuries like traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. They can damage bones, tissues and organs, causing long hospital stays, surgeries and lasting complications. And a significant number of T-bone accidents are fatal.
What are some of the ways T-bone accidents can happen?
Georgia’s right of way laws are designed to keep traffic moving in an orderly way and prevent accidents. When drivers don’t follow these rules, T-bone accidents can happen. For example, T-bone accidents may occur if:
- A driver runs a red light and hits another vehicle passing through the intersection on a green.
- A driver is hit while crossing the opposing lane of traffic to make a left turn at an unmarked intersection (such as into or out of a parking lot or residential street)
- A driver runs a stop sign and collides with another car traveling across the intersection
When a driver doesn’t follow traffic laws and an accident happens because of it, the driver is legally at fault. The driver might be a nice person who has never gotten a ticket in their lives, but if they are at fault, their insurance company must pay for your injuries and the damage to your car.
Why is it hard to tell who is at fault in a T-bone accident?
Many people automatically assume that the driver who plowed into the side of another car is the one at fault, but that’s not necessarily true. In many T-bone accidents, the position of the cars is simply a matter of timing, or which car got to the center of the intersection first.
T-bone accidents are also complicated because the factors involved may not be obvious at first. For example, a T-bone collision at a traffic light may be caused by a malfunction in the light. The driver who had the right of way might have avoided the accident if she had not been texting while driving. A driver making a legal left turn might be T-boned by a driver who was drunk and speeding. And because T-bone accidents can cause such serious injuries, the drivers themselves may have a hard time describing what happened.
If you were in a T-bone accident and you believe it’s not your fault, talk to a car accident lawyer about it. A good car accident lawyer knows how to gather and review police reports and other evidence about your accident. If the evidence shows you were not at fault, a lawyer can put together a solid case and show the other driver’s insurance company why its driver is legally responsible for your injuries. A lawyer puts an experienced professional on your side to fight for your rights in insurance company negotiations or a car accident law suit in Atlanta.
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