Side Impact/T-Bone Car Accidents in Los Angeles
When your car sustains a side impact, it is either a sideswipe in which another car scrapes along your side or a T-bone, which happens when another motorist smacks directly into your vehicle’s side. You can lose control and be hurt seriously in a sideswipe, and the impact of a T-bone accident usually causes disastrous injuries.
If the motorist who smacked the side of your vehicle caused your injuries out of carelessness, negligence, or recklessness, you are owed compensation to pay for your losses. Whether the money comes from an insurance company settlement or a personal injury lawsuit, our Los Angeles lawyers have a track record of winning side impact/T-bone accident cases.
Types of Side-Impact Car Smashups
Sideswipes occur when another motorist makes an unsafe lane change or merges into traffic without regard for a blind spot, and the cars scrape sides. T-bone accidents are also called broadside crashes, which usually occur at intersections where one motorist smashes into another while one of them is turning. The result resembles the letter T. Some examples of side-impact car smashups include:
- A driver is merging onto the Golden State Freeway, Interstate 5, and sideswipes another motorist they fail to see in their blind spot
- A motorist is texting and driving and fails to observe a car turning left with the right-of-way
- A motorist runs a stop sign and T-bones another
- A driver tries to run a yellow light and slams into a left-turning motorist
Side-impact car crashes pit two opposing forces made up of tons of metal that can cause injuries such as brain and spinal cord damage, multiple broken bones, disfigurement, paralysis, and lifelong aches and pains. Our lawyers consider how much an injured person may need for care that could extend a lifetime. Our attorneys do not settle for lowball offers from insurance companies. We could win substantial compensation after T-bone vehicle crashes in Los Angeles.
Compensation Available After a T-Bone Car Crash
Personal injury awards include economic and non-economic losses. Economic losses are what the injured party must pay or does not earn while recovering from the accident. This includes ongoing medical bills and lost current and future wages, as well as property damage to repair a vehicle.
The jury assigns dollar amounts to non-economic damages that are not so easily calculated. These include ongoing pain, loss of the enjoyment of life and family, disfigurement, and the emotional trauma of going through a devastating accident.
Statute of Limitations for Side Impact Collision Suits
California limits the amount of time an injured party has to file a negligence lawsuit against the motorist who T-bones their vehicle. According to the California Code of Civil Procedure 335.1, personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the accident or after the injuries manifest themselves, if that is not until later.
The clock also pauses if the defendant is younger than 18, is not in California, is legally insane, or is in state prison. Once the conditions rectify themselves, the clock begins again.
Call Us After a Side-Impact/T-Bone Car Accident in Los Angeles
If you are involved in a side impact car accident, either a sideswipe or T-bone, you are faced with coordinating expensive medical care, finding the money to pay your bills and care for your family, and trying to get a fair settlement from an insurer. Do not try to accomplish all this on your own.
Our attorneys are dedicated to winning compensation for you. We will negotiate with insurers but will not accept settlements that do not cover your extensive losses. Insurers are aware of our track record of winning suitable damages awards, and we are happy to present your case to a jury and win for you. If your life is upended by a side impact/T-bone car accident in Los Angeles, call us to set things right.
