When you need justice delivered, you need the T-bone accident lawyers at Haun Mena. For a free consultation about your T-bone collision claim, contact our Houston car accident lawyers for your case review.
Attorneys for T-Bone Accidents in Houston
We represent victims of T-bone accidents in Houston and the surrounding areas. You shouldn’t pay for an injury caused by someone else. You should be compensated for your financial losses, pain and suffering, and anguish.
You may deserve financial compensation. Let our lawyers for T-bone accidents in Houston pursue your case and the outcome you deserve.
You deserve top-notch legal service. Call or message us now to begin your case.
What is a T-bone accident?
A T-bone accident occurs when two vehicles collide, one vehicle having a point of impact in the front and the other on the side. The vehicles form the shape of the letter T at impact.
T-bone accidents are also called broadside and side-impact accidents.
Why are T-bone accidents so dangerous?
T-bone accidents are so dangerous because victims are thrown sideways and because vehicles often lack substantial crash protection from the side. They are a type of accident with a high rate of serious injury and fatalities.
Causes of T-bone accidents
- Trying to beat a traffic light
- Rolling through a stop sign or light instead of coming to a full stop
- Turning in front of an oncoming car
- Traveling into the intersection without the right of way
- Mechanical failure
- Failing to pay attention to the traffic around you (distractions)
- Poor judgment of traffic in an intersection (may result from driver intoxication)
- Reckless driving, drag racing, intentional harm
- Trying to make a U-turn without enough room
Liability for a T-Bone Accident
“Liability for a T-bone accident depends on fault. Car accidents, including T-bone accidents, are evaluated based on negligence. Negligence is a breach of duty, including:
- Existence of a legal duty
- Breach of duty
- Proximate cause of harm (cause in fact and foreseeability)
- Damages
See Rodriguez v. Gutierrez-Perez, 13-20-00146-CV (Tex. App. Jul. 1, 2021).
Is one party automatically at fault for a T-bone accident?
No. The operator of a vehicle in either position may be at fault for a T-bone accident. For example, the vehicle impacting from the front may be at fault for proceeding through an intersection when the other vehicle had the right of way. On the other hand, the vehicle impacting on the side may be at fault for trying to make a turn without having the right of way.
Determining fault for a T-bone accident
For some types of accidents, the position of the vehicle may be a strong indicator of fault. For example, most rear-end accidents are the fault of the vehicle in the back, although there are some exceptions. However, for a T-bone accident, either party may be at fault.
Therefore, which party had the right of way becomes extremely important. Laws that may be relevant include:
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§ 515.151(1) – A vehicle approaching an intersection must yield the right of way in obedience to a traffic control device (stop sign or yield sign, stop light).
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§ 515.151(2) – A vehicle approaching an intersection may proceed when they can enter the intersection without interfering with traffic.
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§ 515.153 – An approaching vehicle must yield the right of way to vehicles already in the intersection.
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§ 515.156 – Entering vehicles from an alley, building, or private road must yield to present traffic.
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§ 545.101 – Staying in the appropriate lane of travel while executing a turn.
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545.104 – Using a turn signal to indicate intent to turn.
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547.004 – Unsafe or inadequately equipped vehicle.
See Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 545 – Operation and Movement of Vehicles, § 547.004
These are just some of the laws that may apply to determine who is at fault for a T-bone accident. An investigation should consider who was present in a lane of travel in violation of right-of-way laws or because of other negligence.
To build your case, our attorneys rely on an investigation, including statements from those involved, bystander witnesses, videos and photographs, vehicle inspection, accident investigation, and other techniques. We don’t assume that the police did this for you or that their conclusions are accurate. We build the evidence needed to claim your compensation.
Legal Issues for T-Bone Accident Compensation
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Proving fault and your right to compensation
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Representing your interests when injuries are serious or a fatality has occurred
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Allegations of shared fault
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Understanding common T-bone accident injuries and proving causation from the accident
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Complex claims with multiple determinative issues
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Identifying insurance policies and sources of compensation
As part of our representation, we identify issues that may be especially important to your claim. We handle all aspects of a claim.
T-Bone Crash Statistics
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69,000 people are seriously hurt in side-impact traffic crashes, including T-bone accidents, each year in the United States.
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8,000 people lose their lives each year in side-impact crashes, including T-bone accidents in the United States.
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22% of vehicle occupant traffic deaths result from side-impact collisions, including T-bone accidents.
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In serious injury crashes with multiple impacts, the second impact is most likely to be a side impact (48.4%).
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In serious injury crashes with multiple impacts, the most harmful sequence is a side impact followed by another side impact (27.7%).
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Side-impact airbags reduce the risk of death by 37% for car drivers involved in an accident.
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Side-impact airbags reduce the risk of death by 52% for SUV drivers involved in an accident.
Sources: Insurance Information Institute, Fatality Facts, Passenger vehicle occupants; Foreign Affairs, Are Side Air Bags in a Car Important?, Digges and Bahouth, Frequency of Injuries in Multiple Impact Crashes, Auto Safety Expert, Side Impact – Intrusion.
Free Consultations – Start Your Case
Have you or a loved one been hurt in a T-bone accident? Our law firm handles motor vehicle injury and fatality claims, representing victims who are harmed by the actions of others.
To talk to a Houston T-bone accident lawyer with a free consultation, contact Haun Mena. Begin a conversation with a no-risk assessment, and start your case today. Contact us now!
