What a Car Accident Lawyer Looks at After a Rear-End or T-Bone Crash

Rear-End and T-Bone Collisions: How Fault Is Decided

Rear-end and T-bone collisions come up again and again in injury claims. The label describes how the vehicles met, but it does not settle who was at fault. A car accident attorney looking at either type of crash will usually start with the sequence of events, from each car's speed to the signals that controlled traffic.

What causes rear-end collisions

Many state traffic laws bar drivers from following another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, taking into account the speed of traffic and the condition of the road. Distraction is a frequent factor. NHTSA explains that sending or reading a text takes a driver's eyes off the road for 5 seconds, which at 55 mph is like driving the length of a football field with eyes closed. A car crash lawyer will sometimes request the other driver's phone records if distraction is suspected.

The trailing driver is often found at fault in a rear-end crash, but that is not automatic. A vehicle that cuts in and stops short, brake lights that do not work or a vehicle backing up may shift part or all of the fault. In a chain-reaction crash, each impact is a separate event, and a middle car pushed into the car ahead may not be at fault for that second impact.

Neck injuries after a rear-end crash

Rear-end impacts are often linked to whiplash, a neck injury caused by the head snapping back and forth. Symptoms such as neck pain and headaches may not appear until hours after the crash, which is one reason a prompt medical evaluation matters. Insurance companies sometimes challenge injury claims after low-speed rear-end crashes, citing minor vehicle damage. Photos of both cars and the medical records help respond to that argument, together with imaging such as an MRI when a doctor orders it.

How T-bone collisions happen

A T-bone collision happens when the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another, most often at an intersection. Typical causes include failing to yield on a left turn and running a red light or a stop sign. A car's sides have less space to absorb crash forces than its front or rear, which is why the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates side protection in a separate side-impact crash test. Occupants on the struck side can suffer serious injuries, including traumatic brain injury and pelvic fractures.

Disputes in these crashes often come down to who had the right of way. Evidence can include signal timing records, intersection camera video, nearby business surveillance footage, dashcam video and witness statements, plus the event data recorder (EDR) in each car, which https://caraccidentlawyers.wiki/geography/united-states/georgia/metro-atlanta/alpharetta/ may hold speed and braking data from the seconds before the crash. A car crash lawyer will usually try to collect video quickly, since many systems overwrite footage within days or weeks.

Shared fault and comparative negligence

Fault is not always all or nothing. Most states apply some form of comparative negligence, which lowers a recovery by the injured person's share of fault. Under modified comparative negligence, a person found at least 50 or 51 percent at fault, depending on the state, may recover nothing, while pure comparative negligence allows a reduced recovery at any percentage of fault. A few jurisdictions still apply contributory negligence, which can bar recovery for even slight fault. A car accident attorney will know which rule applies in the state where the crash happened.

A note on deadlines

Each state sets its own statute of limitations for injury claims, and claims against a government agency can require written notice much sooner. This is general information and not legal advice, and it cannot predict the outcome of any claim.