T-Bone/Broadside Accident Lawyer in Indiana
At Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC, we understand the serious injuries and chaos that a T-bone accident or broadside impact can cause. A serious injury can limit your ability to work, create financial stress and leave you and your loved ones facing an uncertain future.
If you have sustained serious injuries in a T-bone collision caused by another driver in Indiana, you should explore your legal options for seeking compensation. Let a knowledgeable Indianapolis car accident lawyer at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC review your accident and discuss your options during a free consultation.
If we handle your T-bone accident injury claim, our attorneys can deal with the insurance companies while you focus on your health and recovery. We represent only accident victims and their families.
Attorney David Craig and the legal team at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC care about our clients and will press aggressively for you to receive full and just compensation. Having a clear understanding of your legal rights will allow you to make well-founded decisions after a broadside collision.
How T-Bone Car Crashes Occur
T-bone car accidents often occur when drivers make a sudden turn or swerve. Drivers are not aware of how fast they are going, and the objects that are in their path. As a result, vehicles may strike the side of another at intersections, forming a “T” shape because cars have a front bumper with that form.
What is a Broadside Collision?
A broadside collision is a crash in which two vehicles are traveling in perpendicular directions and the front of one vehicle strikes the driver side or passenger side of a second vehicle. This type of accident also is referred to as a T-bone collision or side-impact collision.
Broadside accidents commonly occur at intersections when a car or truck driver violates the right of way of another vehicle in the intersection. The common causes are a driver running a red light or running a stop sign.
Broadside collisions can cause extremely serious injuries and fatal injuries. Side impact collisions account for about a fourth of deaths in crashes involving passenger vehicles, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The sides of an automobile have much less structural capacity to absorb the energy of a collision than the front and rear of a vehicle.
Side airbags which are standard on most new passenger vehicles offer some protection. But in a broadside crash, the vehicle occupants absorb more of the blunt force of the crash, particularly at higher speeds. That often results in significant injuries such as neck injuries, head injuries, chest injuries broken bones, and spinal injuries.
Who Is at Fault in a Broadside Accident?
Unlike rear-end collisions in which the trailing motorist is typically to blame, either motorist involved in a T-bone may be at fault.
In Indiana, drivers making a left turn at an intersection must yield when the light turns green to all oncoming traffic that is proceeding straight through the intersection. Only one vehicle at a time can move into an intersection to make a left turn.
If a driver waiting to turn left fails to see an oncoming vehicle or misjudges the speed of an oncoming vehicle, the driver may cause a side impact accident by turning into the path of the approaching vehicle that has the right of way.
In this scenario, the driver of the vehicle struck in the side violated the right of way of the other driver and is at fault for the broadside collision.
In another scenario, a driver enters an Indianapolis intersection on a green light and is struck broadside by driver number 2 who was approaching from across the street. Driver 2 was talking on a cell phone and failed to notice the light had changed and violated the right of way of the driver in the intersection.
A T-bone accident, generally caused by a driver failing to yield the right of way, may result in one vehicle striking the side of another. These types of accidents often generate conflicting accounts from the drivers as to who had the right of way. The determination of which driver had the right of way is critical to identify who was at fault.
After a broadside accident, it is helpful to collect the names and contact information of any witnesses to the crash. Witness statements can help you build a solid case showing your actions did not contribute to the broadside accident and the other driver is liable for your injuries and vehicle damage.
Can You Still Sue for Damages if You Were Partly at Fault in a T-Bone Accident?
It depends on how much you contributed to the accident. Indiana uses a modified comparative fault system in assigning fault. You may have a right to file a personal injury lawsuit and seek compensation for your injuries as long as you are less than 51 percent at fault for the crash.
Any compensation you receive will be reduced in proportion to your percentage of fault for the collision. For example, if the damages in a broadside accident are found to be $100,000 and you are 20 percent at fault, then you would still be eligible to receive $80,000 in compensation for your losses.
Because broadside accidents can be complicated, you should seek an attorney who has a strong track record in handling car accident claims.
Where Do Broadside Collisions Occur in Indianapolis?
A broadside accident can occur at any street crossing where two vehicles meet at right angles. But certain intersections in Indianapolis are particularly dangerous and have high numbers of collisions. According to the Indiana University Public Policy Institute, the intersections in Marion County with the highest number of collisions are:
- 21st St. & Shadeland
- Madison & Stop 11 Rd.
- 38th & Franklin Rd.
- 86th & Keystone Ave.
- 38th & High School Rd.
Contact an Experienced Indianapolis Broadside Accident Attorney
At Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC, we are ready to review your side-impact case and discuss your legal options during a free consultation. If you’ve been seriously injured or lost a loved one in a broadside crash, we can take on the insurance companies to demand just compensation for your losses.
We handle broadside accident injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You do not pay any legal fee unless we obtain compensation for you through an insurance settlement or jury verdict.
Contact an Indianapolis T-bone accident lawyer at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC online. We represent clients in Batesville, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Anderson, Muncie, and Lafayette, Indiana.
We will set up an appointment at an office location convenient to you. You only have a limited amount of time to file a personal injury claim after a broadside accident in Indiana, so contact a lawyer as soon as possible.