If you or someone close to you suffered serious injuries in a T-bone collision in San Diego, contact the Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers right away. We will hold the at-fault driver liable and seek the maximum financial compensation you need and deserve. We understand the aftermath of a car crash can be traumatic. You shouldn’t have to suffer through this experience alone, nor should you pay out of your own pocket for someone else’s carelessness or recklessness.
When you get hurt in a T-bone accident, you can end up with severe or even life-threatening injuries. Some people develop disabilities that keep them from living their normal lives. It can affect your job, family, and physical capacity to complete routine tasks. At Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers, we have the resources, knowledge, and experience to ensure the other motorist pays for their mistakes. You can depend on us to get you on the road to recovery. Call (619) 233-5020 to schedule a free case review with one of our San Diego car accident attorneys.
What Is A T-Bone Accident?
A T-bone accident also called a side-impact collision, is when one vehicle crashes into the side of another. Many occur at intersections when drivers are traveling at a perpendicular angle to each other. However, T-bone collisions can happen anytime and anywhere. It is one of the most deadly types of accidents, causing 24 percent of vehicle-related fatalities in 2017.
When one vehicle collides with another, it can cause severe crushing-type injuries to the occupants. The only thing protecting you from the impact is the door and window. At high speeds, the car can crumple like a piece of paper, pinning you inside.
The most common injuries associated with T-bone car accidents include:
- Whiplash
- Broken bones
- Crush injuries
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal damage
- Soft tissue injuries
Any injury you sustain in a crash can result in a permanent medical issue. You can suffer from ongoing pain, and need months of medical treatment to heal. It’s a serious situation, and a San Diego T-bone accident attorney from Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers will ensure the road ahead is as smooth as possible.
Ensure Your Rights Stay Protected After a T-Bone Car Accident
It’s essential that you take legal action immediately after you get hurt in a car wreck. If you want to hold the at-fault driver accountable for their actions, you must start the process at the accident scene. If you don’t obtain relevant evidence and hire an experienced lawyer to help you, you could end up losing your case or receiving a lower insurance settlement than you deserve.
Follow these steps to secure your rights to a fair financial award:
- Call law enforcement – Report the accident and wait for an officer to show up. The law is to notify the California Highway Patrol or local police department if a crash results in injuries or fatalities to a driver, passenger, motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian. The investigating officer will speak to everyone involved and determine who was at fault.
- Obtain the other driver’s information – Write down the other driver’s name, phone number, and auto insurance information. If you want to file a claim, you’ll need to know the name of their insurance company and policy number.
- Take photos – Take pictures of the crash site. It can help you prove that someone else was liable for the accident. You should also note any other evidence, such as vehicle damage, debris in the road, broken car parts, and skid marks.
- Talk to witnesses – If any bystanders or occupants of other vehicles saw what happened, write down their names and phone numbers. If necessary, they might be able to provide the insurance company with a statement to confirm how the crash occurred.
- Go to the hospital within 24 hours – You should never wait long before seeing a doctor. Insurance companies will use an accident victim’s gap in treatment as evidence that the crash didn’t cause any injuries or to argue the injuries aren’t serious enough to require medical care. It is also crucial that you follow up regularly with all of your medical providers until you recover.
- Maintain records – Keep copies of your medical records, vehicle repair documents, billing statements, out-of-pocket costs, prescribed medications, and anything else you can use to show you suffered injuries.
- Hire an attorney – Call Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers so one of our San Diego T-bone accident lawyers can assist you with your case.
We know the stress of dealing with insurance claims. It can be a time-consuming process and confusing for anyone who has never filed one before. Remember that we are the only people on your side. The insurance company does not want to pay out your claim. They are in the business of saving as much money as possible. If they can find sufficient evidence during their investigation, they will use it to deny your claim or offer a low settlement.
The attorneys at Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers won’t allow anyone to take advantage of you. We will ensure fair treatment until the end of your case. You can depend on us to fight hard for the justice and compensation you deserve. We will aggressively negotiate with the insurance adjuster to provide an adequate settlement amount to cover all the costs associated with the accident and any pain and suffering you endured.
Besides following the steps above, there are also things you should never do after a T-bone accident:
- Don’t forego legal representation. You might believe it will save you more money in the long run, but you will have a better chance of winning higher compensation than if you work on your case alone.
- Don’t admit any degree of fault. Pure comparative negligence is a rule in California that reduces an injured party’s compensation by the percentage of blame they share. To clarify, if your total expenses are $100,000 but you’re 20 percent responsible for the accident, you would only be entitled to a maximum of $80,000.
- Don’t sign documents that the at-fault driver’s auto insurance company sends you. The insurance adjuster handling the claim might try to trick you into signing away your rights to the maximum insurance coverage available. Send everything you receive to your San Diego T-bone accident lawyer for review.
California Laws that Affect Accident Victims
In California, there’s a fault system that can benefit injured parties after a car crash. It automatically puts financial liability on the person who caused the accident. They become liable for your injuries and any resulting expenses. As long as you can prove fault, you can file a claim with their auto insurance company to collect settlement money.
Every motorist has a legal responsibility to purchase auto insurance with minimum liability limits. Those limits compensate for an accident victim’s losses. Depending on the amount listed on their policy, you might be entitled to various damages. Damages are the losses associated with an accident or injury. They include the following:
- Medical bills
- Lost income
- Lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Property damage
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
Unfortunately, not everyone follows the law. There are drivers you encounter that don’t have liability insurance. When that happens, you might be able to turn to your own auto policy. Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance (UM) provides compensation when the at-fault driver doesn’t carry liability coverage, or their limits aren’t high enough. Although not a requirement in California, it’s an optional form of coverage all insurance companies must offer to their policyholders.
If you have UM insurance on your policy, you can file a claim for the following damages:
- Medical bills
- Pain and suffering
- Lost income
- Lost earning capacity
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket costs
You could also choose the option of filing a lawsuit against the other driver. There’s a statute of limitations, which is a strict deadline you must comply with if you want to sue someone for damages. The statute of limitations in California is two years for injuries and three years for damage to personal property. If you miss the deadline, you won’t have the opportunity to file a lawsuit.
Contact a San Diego Car Accident Lawyer
Our San Diego T-bone accident attorneys have been representing victims of car accidents since 2007. We have decades of experience fighting against insurance companies and bringing cases to court. When you hire us, we will get to know you and the details of your situation to create the most effective plan.
With our no-fee guarantee, you won’t have to pay us a penny upfront. We work on contingency, so there are no initial or ongoing fees or costs. We won’t collect our legal fees unless we win the compensation you deserve. If we lose your case, you won’t have to pay us anything.
At Jurewitz Law Group Injury & Accident Lawyers, we want to ensure your experience with us is stress-free. You can depend on us to handle every step on your behalf and provide the support and guidance you need. Our team is available 24/7, so you can reach us when it’s most convenient for you. Call us today at (855) 330-2519 if you were the victim of a T-bone collision and need help with your case. Our experienced trial lawyers are ready to take your call.
