A side-impact collision occurs when a vehicle is hit and suffers an impact from the side by another vehicle. A car accident of this type usually occurs at stop signs and red lights as a motorist attempts to “beat the light” and ignore traffic signals. Unfortunately, this recklessness could result in a T-bone car accident, where the front of their vehicle hits your side. These accidents can be very severe as they frequently result in serious injuries and sometimes even death.
If you or someone you know have been the victim of a side-impact car accident in Clearwater, Fl., you may be entitled to compensation. The Law Place has over 75 years of experience in achieving compensation for our clients involved in car accidents. We have a personal injury lawyer for you and can help you achieve the justice you deserve for your auto accident. Our law firm operates all over the state, including the counties of St Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota, and Tampa, FL.
For a free consultation, contact us today. Our law firm operates in Florida and covers Clearwater. Our phone lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call us today on (941) 444-4444.
Side Impact Collision Statistics
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has collected data concerning side-impact vehicle collisions. The statistics are, unfortunately, quite harrowing. The data shows that the number of child fatalities caused by side-impact collisions has risen by 20 percent in the last 20 years. They have also presented that out of the 9,000 fatalities recorded in one year, 29 percent of those fatalities were caused by T-bone car accidents. One of the reasons why the number of T-bone accident fatalities is increasing every year is because of the rise of SUVs on the roads in Clearwater and Florida as a whole.
A car accident of this nature is more likely to occur today than ever before, and car manufacturers are taking note of this when designing new vehicles. They have now begun to improve the safety features of their vehicles in an attempt to ensure that a driver can avoid suffering serious injuries. For example, some of these features include steel bars that are molded into the doorframe and side airbags that can buffer the collision and protect those inside the vehicle.
The current regulations do not require car manufacturers to include side airbags in their vehicles. However, many manufacturers recognize the importance of side airbags as a safety feature. Despite this, a lot of drivers on the roads in Clearwater will not benefit from these safety features and, as a result, suffer a serious injury. Not only this, but when a car accident occurs at high speed, these safety features can do very little to prevent a catastrophic accident with serious injuries.
A car accident lawyer at The Law Place will be able to help you win compensation if you or someone you know has suffered as the innocent victim of a T-bone car accident in Clearwater. In a free consultation, a car accident lawyer will be able to give you the help and guidance you may be seeking.
Causes of T-Bone Car Accidents
These collisions can occur in a variety of ways in Clearwater, Fl. They frequently occur in places where vehicles travel perpendicularly to one another, such as four-way stops. They also can happen at intersections, highways, parking lots, interstates, and residential streets.
One of these accidents can also occur between parallel-traveling vehicles when one driver changes lanes without looking and “sideswiped” another vehicle.
A car accident of this type can usually occur for several reasons, such as:
- Reckless driving – This can involve a driver speeding or failing to stop at stop signs.
- Distracted driving – This involves a driver who is distracted by their cell phone, for example, and runs a red light.
- Poor visibility – Heavy downpour or a dark night can restrict a driver’s ability to see the lights of other road users.
- Driving under the influence – The reaction times of drivers who have consumed alcohol or drugs are dramatically slowed down.
Regardless of how your car accident has occurred in Florida, if you have suffered an injury as a result in Clearwater, FL, a car accident attorney at The Law Place can help you. The injury and damage you have suffered may be incredibly serious, and a car accident attorney will be able to talk to your insurance company to ensure that you are fairly compensated. A car accident attorney at The Law Place can help you win the justice that you deserve in Clearwater, FL.
Common Injuries After a Side Impact Collision
The severity of these accidents means that the injuries sustained by the victim are rarely minor such as only a bruise or scrape. Most of the time, the injury that a person can sustain as a result of side-impact collision are severe.
Some of the most common physical injuries associated with an accident of this type are:
- Head injury – Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) often occur in this type of accident. They involve a severe bump or penetration to the head, which can affect the function of the brain. These injuries can be caused when a head makes harsh contact with the side of their car or windshield. Even if an airbag or seatbelt can prevent this from happening, the immense force of the accident can result in a person’s brain slamming into the walls of their skull, causing an injury.
- Broken ribs – These types of injuries are not necessarily as serious as TBI, but they can be incredibly painful.
- Chest trauma – Injuries of this nature can occur when the blunt force of the accident impacts the chest cavity that can lead to a reduction of airflow.
Any injury has the potential to result in a long recovery process. The injuries and trauma suffered in a car accident of this type can affect a person’s life dramatically.
It is important that if you or someone you know has suffered injuries as the result of an accident in Clearwater that you seek the help of a car accident lawyer. A personal injury lawyer at The Law Place can help lift some of the weight off your shoulders by speaking to your insurance company on your behalf so you can focus on your health and recovery.
What Damages Can I Recover?
The trauma of a T-bone accident can leave a victim suffering for the rest of their life. They may have lost wages because of the injuries they sustained, as well as suffered an immense amount of pain and suffering.
A car accident lawyer at The Law Place can help a victim receive compensation for the following damages:
- Present and future medical expenses.
- Lost wages.
- Pain and suffering.
- Inconvenience.
- Reduced earning capacity.
- Car and property repairs.
- Emotional and psychosocial distress.
- Wrongful death.
A personal injury lawyer will closely investigate your auto accident and damages to ensure that the insurance company of the party at fault or your own insurance company pays you the full amount you are entitled to. Our personal injury lawyers at The Law Place strive to achieve the very best for our clients.
Don’t hesitate to contact us today for a free consultation if you have been the victim of an auto accident and are thinking of filing a personal injury claim.
What to Do If You Have Been the Victim of a Side Impact Accident in Clearwater
We advise that the first thing you do if you have been involved in a side-impact accident is to seek medical attention. The injuries caused in one of these accidents are usually incredibly severe, and therefore it is in the best interest of your health to seek professional medical help straight away. Sometimes, the severity of the injuries sustained is not obvious straight away as adrenaline can distract from the pain. It is critically important that you seek medical attention regardless of how serious you deem your injuries to be.
We understand that the medical bills that you could face as a result of your treatment can seem crippling. Although, with the help of one of our lawyers, they can contact insurance companies and get those expenses reimbursed for you.
The other important thing that we advise to do after suffering one of these accidents is to avoid speaking to the other driver’s insurance company. The likelihood is that you will receive a phone call from the insurance company of the party at fault very soon after the accident has occurred. We cannot stress enough how important it is that you do not speak to that insurance company before contacting one of our lawyers.
The insurance company of the party at fault with try and offer you a quick settlement in their best interest. We know that this insurance settlement can seem tempting, but it will be massively less than what you are truly owed for your suffering. To receive the full amount of what you deserve from insurance companies, it is important to seek the help of an accident attorney.
What Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Do for Me?
We understand that no amount of money handed out by insurance companies can take away your trauma and suffering as the result of being the innocent victim in a T-bone accident. However, a lawyer at The Law Place can do their best to ensure that insurance companies don’t cheat you out of compensation. We can help you take on insurance companies so that you receive justice for your suffering.
If you have lost someone close to you because of one of these accidents, you may be able to receive compensation from insurance companies for filing for wrongful death. You could receive compensation for burial expenses, medical bills, and loss of companionship. It can be incredibly difficult losing a loved one through no fault of their own. Our law firm will be able to support you through the whole process.
An attorney at The Law Place will also investigate your accident and build you a strong case so that you can receive the maximum amount of compensation. They will aid you in locating knowledgeable witnesses who can document their version of events and testify on your behalf if your case ends up in court. They can also collect vital evidence to prove the negligence of the driver at fault in causing your accident.
Contact Us Today at The Law Place
Our lawyers at The Law Place in Florida have a wealth of experience in dealing with cases very similar to yours. We can legally represent victims of car accidents to ensure that they receive the justice that they deserve. Our clients are our number one priority, and we will strive to ensure only the very best for them.
Our law firm operates all over the state, including the counties of Clearwater, St Petersburg, Sarasota, and Tampa, FL.
Don’t hesitate to contact us today at The Law Place for a free consultation. One of our lawyers will be able to answer any questions you may have and offer you the legal guidance that you may be seeking.
We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to listen to your call. Call us today on (941) 444-4444.