Side Impact Accident Lawyer
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According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), side-impact accidents or t-bone accidents cause about 25 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths each year in the United States. A side-impact car accident is one of the most frequent and dangerous times of accidents that occurs on Texas roadways. Many of these crashes can have fatal outcomes due to the limited protection that many vehicles have on their sides. Many side impact collisions have limited to no ability to absorb the force of the accident. As a result many car drivers and car passengers are seriously injured from the lack of protection that many cars have to protect the vehicle occupants. Side-Impact Auto Accident Lawyer servicing the League City, Galveston, Houston, Sugar Land, Friendswood, Kemah, La Porte, Seabrook, Pearland, Nassau Bay, Alvin, Galveston County, TX areas.
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T-Bone Car Accidents Are Dangerous
Car passengers and Drivers often become injured in side-impact crashes by colliding with the person sitting next to them in the vehicle. This can occur by someone’s head coming in contact with another person within the vehicle. These types of injuries can be severe and even lift threatening. In a report from the IIHS journal, a British report on side impact wrecks found that when individuals did not wear their seat belt that they became “human missiles.” Many of these human missiles inflicted mortal injuries on fellow occupants.
Causes and Liability
There is a variety of reasons that a may cause a vehicle to strike another vehicle from the side. Here are some common scenarios where T-bone collisions happen as a result. Not coming to a complete stop at a four-way intersection. Many Drivers who choose to roll through a stop sign instead of coming to a halt cause a T-bone accident sooner or later. It’s also a wildly illegal practice. When a driver fails to come to a complete stop at a four-way, it’s a violation of the traffic code.
- Failure to Yield – We all had to learn those complex rules that require one driver to yield to another when two or more cards arrive at a four-way stop at the same time. Most states’ traffic laws (including Texas) require drivers who stop at intersections at the same time to permit the driver on the left to proceed through the intersection.
- Running Red Lights – Running a red light is patently illegal and can be life-threatening when a driver picks up speed to race through a light before it turns red. A driver-side collision from a larger vehicle can kill everyone in the car that is struck instantly.
- Turning across traffic lanes – When a driver is in a turning lane and can safely and legally make a turn across traffic, it’s important to wait until it’s safe to make that turn. Drivers who cut across traffic and fail to make the turn in time almost never escape liability.
- Failing to assess oncoming traffic when making a right turn at an intersection – Most drivers look both ways before taking a right at a red light. Very often, that’s not enough, especially in busy traffic scenarios where cars may appear suddenly. Drivers often can’t see speeding cars coming from the right side until it’s too late. Drivers must wait until it is safe to join the flow of traffic or face the consequences.
- Not gauging oncoming traffic when making a right turn at an intersection – Most drivers look both ways before making a right turn at a red light or stop sign. Sometimes that’s not enough. All too often, drivers can’t see speeding cars coming from the side until it’s too late. Traffic codes require drivers who are about to turn right into oncoming traffic to wait until it is safe to join the flow of traffic.
- Recklessness and aggressive driving – road rage is not new to the Houston / Galveston area. With traffic that seem constant people get angry and eager to get where they are going. This causes people to drive more aggressively.
- Driving while intoxicated or impaired – Intoxicated drivers more often than not will fail to look for other vehicles coming from the side. If they do see other vehicles, their condition often causes them to miscalculate the oncoming driver’s speed and location.
- Inclement weather or traffic conditions – During severe weather, it can be more difficult for a driver to successfully stop his or her vehicle despite the presence of air brakes and other complex safety measures. Sliding past a stop sign or traffic signal into an intersection is a real risk to other drivers who may experience a T-bone crash first-hand.
Determining Fault in a Side Impact or T-Bone Accident – If the other driver is at fault for causing a side impact collision, the victim has the right to make a claim for damages and bodily injury. However, in rare cases both drivers may, in fact, be at fault. If a first driver makes an unsafe left turn on a two-lane street and is subsequently broadsided by a second driver, it might seem clear that the first driver is at fault. However, if it is determined that the second driver was speeding, he or she could be found to be partially at fault in the collision.
Common Side-Impact Collision Injuries
Many of the injuries in side impact collisions occur to the head, neck, chest, back, abdomen, pelvis, legs, and arms. The injuries of a side impact collision are more severe in smaller or lighter weight vehicles. In recent years, the IIHS reports that automakers have made big strides in side protection in recent years by installing side airbags and strengthening the structures of vehicles. According to a study based out of the United Kingdom, after analyzing 140 side-impact accidents and the quantified injuries to drivers and passengers the most common injuries in side-impact accidents include:
- Head Injury – 64% struck side; 82% opposite side
- Neck Injury – 12% struck side; 20% opposite side
- Chest Injury – 85% struck side; 73% opposite side
- Abdomen Injury – 59% struck side; 49% opposite side
- Pelvis Injury – 26% struck side; 14% opposite side
- Upper Limb Injury – 2% struck side; 10% opposite side
- Lower Limb Injury – 21% struck side; 12% opposite side
Types of Side Impact Collisions
Side-impact accidents can be very dangerous to both the driver and any passengers within the vehicle. Many are not expecting an impact to occur and can have severe neck and back injuries from the crash. There are several different ways that a side impact collision can occur. Some of the most common types of side impact collisions include:
- Left side- damage occurs in the vicinity of passenger compartment due to angular impact by another vehicle or object. This is applicable to angle collisions and crashes in which a vehicle strikes an object after skidding or spinning.
- Right side – the damage occurs in vicinity of passenger compartment due to angular impact by another vehicle or object.
- Left front quarter- damage happens ahead of passenger compartment. Due to the angular impacted by another vehicle or object. This is applicable to angle collisions and crashes in which a vehicle strikes an object after skidding or spinning.
- Right front quarter- damage occurs ahead of passenger compartment and is due to angular impact by another vehicle or object.
- Left rear quarter- the accident damage is behind passenger compartment and is caused by an angular impact by another vehicle or object. This becomes applicable to angle collisions and crashes in which a vehicle strikes an object after skidding or spinning.
- Right rear quarter- the damage (behind passenger compartment) due to angular impact by another vehicle or object.
- Left side sideswipe - damage resulting from sideswipe by meeting or overtaking other vehicle or object.
- Right side damage resulting from sideswipe by meeting or overtaking other vehicle or object.
- Left side with top damage – this type of accident typically involves a vehicle rollover, for example a high sitting SUV Rollover.
- Right side and top damage - this type of accident typically involves a vehicle rollover, for example a high sitting SUV Rollover.
Attorney for Side Impact Collision Accidents
It is always horrible to hear that someone has been in a side-impact car crash. The driver who gets hit from the side can be seriously injured and could face a length recover time from their personal injuries. Unfortunately, side –impact collisions are fairly common in Galveston, League City, and Houston. Many drivers might never see the car coming towards them before they get hit. Many injury victims typically face severe injuries and a long road to recover. Many may never able to fully recover from their injury and may even pass away from the impact of the side collision. If you or a loved one has been in side impact accident please contact a personal injury lawyer who can help guide during through this difficult period in your life.
Protect Your Legal Rights Following A Side Impact Car Wreck
Our side-impact accident attorney fights for the rights of those who suffer injury after being hit by a car. Motorists have a duty to drive with caution. The Pascoe Law Firm in League City, Texas represents side impact crash victims in the Galveston county and League City areas. We are very familiar with the serious injuries that can occur in a traffic accident. Our side-impact collision lawyer is committed to holding negligent drivers fully responsible for their actions. You can reach us at 713-829-4317 for a free consultation and prompt investigation. If you are or a loved one has been injured and suffered personal injury, call the Pascoe Law firm to speak with accident lawyer. The Pascoe Law Firm provides a free personal injury consultation for side impact car accident victims. Call or contact us online to speak with a Galveston County and League City area Car Accident Lawyer if you or a family member was hit by a car. Hablamos Español.
Side Impact Accident - Research and Reports - Webster / League City
Biomechanics of Side Impact Injuries: Evaluation of Seat Belt Restraint System, Occupant Kinematics and Injury Potential
Lower extremity injuries in side-impact vehicle crashes
Side collision
Children in side-impact motor vehicle crashes: seating positions and injury mechanisms.
Vehicles that earn good test ratings for side-impact protection greatly reduce risk of dying for drivers in real-world crashes
Real-world data confirm results of side crash tests
Lower extremity injuries in side-impact vehicle crashes
Side collision
Children in side-impact motor vehicle crashes: seating positions and injury mechanisms.
Vehicles that earn good test ratings for side-impact protection greatly reduce risk of dying for drivers in real-world crashes
Real-world data confirm results of side crash tests
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