Many of the traffic intersections in Alberta have stop signs, traffic lights, and other traffic control devices used to control traffic flow. However, when drivers are in a hurry, distracted, or intoxicated, they may run a red light or stop sign, colliding with a vehicle in the middle of an intersection. This scenario is the basis for a common T-bone traffic accident.
T-bone collisions—which often occur at traffic intersections, as well as in parking lots and parking garages—occur when the front of one motor vehicle collides with the side of another vehicle. In most cases, the driver of the first vehicle (in other words, the striking vehicle) is the at-fault vehicle in the collision.
The driver and passengers traveling on the adjacent roadway are usually the accident victims who suffer the injuries. If you suffered one or more injuries in a T-bone accident at a traffic intersection or elsewhere, you might recover monetary compensation for your injuries.
One of the first steps that you should take following a T-bone traffic accident is to retain knowledgeable and experienced legal counsel to represent you throughout every stage of your case. A car accident lawyer can investigate the circumstances that led to your accident and determine if you are eligible to pursue monetary compensation by filing a personal injury claim.
If you are, we can file the claim on your behalf and work to negotiate a favorable settlement offer with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. If the insurance company refuses to compensate you adequately, we can file a lawsuit on your behalf in the Alberta court system.
How Do T-Bone Car Accidents Typically Happen?
T-bone accidents at traffic intersections and other locations usually result from driver negligence: violating the rules of the road, engaging in distracted driving, and operating a vehicle while under the illegal influence of drugs or alcohol.
Violating Alberta Road Rules
The primary purpose of road rules in Alberta is to keep motor vehicle drivers and their passengers as safe as possible at all times while they are on the road. However, when motor vehicle operators violate rules of the road—especially near busy traffic intersections—they increase the chances that they will cause a collision with another vehicle.
When drivers speed through traffic intersections and fail to yield the right-of-way to other vehicles at stop signs and red lights, they may negligently cause the front of their vehicle to collide with the side of another vehicle. This is especially true when a driver tries to ‘beat’ a red light by moving through an intersection quickly.
Operating a Motor Vehicle While Distracted
Distracted driving can take many forms, but it usually means diverting one’s attention away from the road and onto someone or something else in the vehicle. For example, a distracted driver might turn their head to discipline a young child sitting in the back seat, or they might listen to loud music. Alternatively, the driver might fiddle with a GPS device, cellular phone, or other electronic devices in the vehicle.
When a driver focuses some or all of their attention on these distractions, they cannot possibly give their full time and attention to the road. As a result, they might not even see a yellow/red traffic light or an approaching intersection stop sign. If they negligently allow their vehicle to blow through the intersection at a high rate of speed, they significantly increase the chances that they will cause a serious T-bone accident with another car or truck in the vicinity.
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Drunk and drugged motor vehicle operation continues to be a problem in Alberta and elsewhere. When a motor vehicle operator chooses to get behind the wheel of a vehicle while intoxicated or under the influence, they may experience various physical and mental symptoms that prevent them from operating their vehicle safely.
For example, they might experience blurry eyesight and delayed reaction time, preventing them from stopping their vehicle quickly at a red traffic light or intersection stop sign. In addition, their intoxication may cause them to break the speed limit or drive erratically—all of which can lead to a T-bone collision.
If you have suffered injuries in a T-bone motor vehicle accident that resulted from one of these types of negligence, you have legal rights and options that are available to you in your case. An experienced car accident lawyer can help you prove the legal elements of your claim and work to get you the money damages that you deserve to recover in your car accident claim or lawsuit.
T-bone Car Accident Injuries
Injuries that victims of T-bone accidents suffer can be extremely severe and may require that the accident victim seek ongoing medical treatment. In many instances, the accident victim will need to seek treatment at a hospital emergency room or urgent care center following their accident.
After this initial treatment, they might need to follow up with a primary care doctor or with a specialist, such as an orthopedic doctor, who can render additional medical treatment. For example, they might have broken a bone in their motor vehicle accident, resulting in the need for a surgical procedure and subsequent physical therapy treatment to recover fully from their injuries.
In a T-bone car accident scenario, the injuries that an accident victim suffers will often depend upon the force of the collision and the specifics regarding the accident. For example, an accident victim whose motor vehicle overturns or rolls over in the middle of an intersection is likely going to sustain more severe injuries than in a milder-impact accident.
Common T-bone accident injuries include fractures, broken bones, soft tissue injuries, whiplash injuries, abrasions, traumatic head or brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries. All of these injuries will likely require additional medical treatment that goes far beyond the initial hospital or urgent care visit.
If another driver’s negligence caused any of these injuries in a T-bone collision, an experienced legal team can begin representing you even while you finish up your medical treatment. They can gather investigative reports, witness statements, and medical records to prepare a demand package for the insurance company. When you let us handle all of the legal aspects of your claim, you can focus all of your attention on recovering from your accident-related injuries and getting back to your pre-accident medical condition.
Filing a Claim Following a T-bone Accident
If you suffered injuries in a T-bone accident that resulted from someone else’s carelessness, recklessness, and negligence, a car accident lawyer can assist you with every step of the claims-filing process.
First of all, they can file your claim or lawsuit well within the applicable statute of limitations.
As part of the claims-filing process, they will prepare a demand letter that makes a monetary demand for settlement within the at-fault driver’s insurance policy limits. They can then negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf and pursue a settlement in your case. When it comes to deciding whether to accept or reject a final settlement offer, you have the final say. However, your car accident lawyer can provide you with a recommendation about how best to resolve the case.
If the insurance company refuses to compensate you adequately for everything that you went through, you may file suit in court. This begins a process known as litigation. During the litigation stage of a personal injury car accident case, the parties will engage in discovery to learn more about each side’s version.
The defence lawyer might also want to take your discovery deposition. During a diacovt, the defence lawyer will ask you about how the accident happened, your injuries, and the permanent impacts of the injuries on your everyday life.
Once the litigation process concludes, the case can still resolve. However, if it does not settle, you have the option of taking your car accident case to trial or alternative dispute resolution, such as binding arbitration or mediation. Our legal team can help you decide on the best option for pursuing the most monetary compensation in your case.
Recoverable Damages in T-bone Car Accident Cases
T-bone car accidents can lead to extremely severe injuries that may require many weeks, months or even years of continuous medical treatment. Assuming an accident victim can demonstrate that another driver was negligent in causing the T-bone collision, they may be in a position to pursue monetary damages for all of their related injuries.
The damages that a person can recover as part of a T-bone car accident will depend on the nature and extent of their injuries. Generally speaking, accident victims who suffer one or more permanent injuries in their collision can recover more compensation than an accident victim who suffered only minor injuries in the impact.
Moreover, when making settlement offers, insurance companies will consider the inconvenience of all medical treatment, as well any painful procedures a victim had to undergo. Recovering from major surgery can cause serious suffering, and this can be compensable.
Victims of T-bone collisions can pursue monetary compensation for all of their lost wages if they had to miss time away from work to attend medical appointments and fully recover from their injuries. Accident victims can also file a claim for loss of earning capacity if they suffered a permanent injury in their accident that required them to switch to a less-skilled, lower-paying job or career.
Other potential non-economic damages that a car accident victim can recover include compensation for inconvenience, mental distress, pain and suffering, loss of the ability to use a body part, loss of life enjoyment, and loss of family or spousal support.
The right personal injury lawyer can explore your eligibility for various damages in your case and let you know what you can pursue. Our legal team will then aggressively advocate for your interests when negotiating with the insurance company or litigating your case in the civil court system. We will work hard to ensure that you recover all of the compensation that you deserve for all of your accident-related injuries.
Talk With a Car Accident Lawyer About Your Legal Matter Today
If you suffered injuries in a T-bone traffic accident that you did not cause, get a knowledgeable team of lawyers on board in your case as soon as possible after your collision. In general, the sooner that you have a lawyer on board in your case, the better off you will be.
Your skilled and experienced legal team will aggressively fight for you and work hard to get you the monetary compensation and damages that you deserve—whether through settlement, court and jury verdict, or alternative dispute resolution proceeding (such as mediation or binding arbitration).
For a free legal consultation and case evaluation with an experienced car accident lawyer, please call one today for more information.
Many accident victims hesitate to call a lawyer because they think all lawyers charge costly fees just to meet. However, car accident lawyers in Alberta typically handle cases on a contingency basis. They also evaluate your rights for free and advise you whether you have a valid claim at no cost to you. Then, if you decide to hire them, you owe them nothing to retain their services. They only receive fees if they successfully obtain compensation for you.
Contact a car accident lawyer from MNH Injury Lawyers to get the legal help you and your family deserve.
