FOLLOW US ON
You might assume side-impact accidents are minor when one car traveling in an adjacent lane drifts into and scrapes the side of another vehicle, but these accidents can do more damage than you think. This is because a hard impact with the unprotected side of a vehicle causes more damage than if it were to hit against the reinforced back or front end.
You may be the most diligent, but if another motorist is not, you could be injured because of their negligence. If you are harmed because of a driver’s careless actions, a knowledgeable car accident attorney could negotiate with insurers or litigate side-impact / T-bone car accidents in Lawrence to win you appropriate compensation.
Side-impact accidents are often called sideswipes and T-Bones. Sideswipes usually result in property damage, but when two vehicles end up in the same lane after one merges onto the interstate, losing control is a deadly possibility. T-Bone accidents are also known as broadside crashes.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, side-impact accidents account for 25 percent of all vehicular deaths. Even in cases where the injured party survives, these accidents can result in devastating injuries that include:
Those who are injured will face medical bills, lost wages, rehabilitation, loss of enjoyment of life, property damage, and the psychological impact of the incident. Indiana is a fault-based state, which means motorists injured from another driver’s negligence can recoup those losses from an insurance settlement or by filing a lawsuit.
Our attorneys consider the severity of a client’s injuries to determine how much they will need to recover and live comfortably. Insurers traditionally offer inadequate settlements, and we are not shy about taking a case to court after side-impact car accidents in Lawrence.
When litigating a personal injury claim, attorneys must prove the negligence of the party who caused the accident. For a side impact crash, identifying evidence of actions that fall below what a reasonable person would take is the first step. This could be from speeding or driving while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol.
If a law enforcement officer issues a ticket for an infraction, then negligence per se is established, which means the offending driver has breached the duty to act responsibly; and if that breach causes an accident with injuries, the defendant will be liable for damages in a Lawrence T-Bone accident.
Indiana adheres to modified comparative negligence, the 51 percent rule, in which an injured plaintiff who contributes to the side-impact accident, or any negligent accident, must be less than 51 percent responsible or they will be barred from collecting a damages award. Any award when comparative negligence is found will be reduced by the percentage of fault the jury assigns to the plaintiff. If the jury awards $1 million to a plaintiff injured in a crash, and the plaintiff is assigned 30 percent of the blame, the award will be reduced to $700,000.
If you are T-Boned by another driver because they were careless or reckless, you are entitled to compensation for your losses, including the ones you can calculate like medical bills, and the ones you cannot, such as the psychological trauma associated with damage and loss.
We are not intimidated by larger insurers, and if their settlement offers are nowhere near what our clients deserve, we go to court and fight for more. Our attorneys care about your well-being and future, and that is our impetus to work hard for you. Ask McCready Law for a free consultation after a side-impact car crash in Lawrence, IN.