Two-Vehicle T-Bone Accident in Sacramento
A two-vehicle accident occurred on 65th Street at Rancho Adobe on October 12 at 2:01 a.m. Sacramento Police and Fire units were dispatched to the scene of the crash. It was necessary to extricate the injured from one of the vehicles. That vehicle sustained major damage to the driver’s side. The other vehicle, a red sedan, sustained major front-end damage and a crumpled hood. The injured were transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment. As of the time of this report, there has been no word as to the injuries or their severity. The police are investigating the two-vehicle accident to determine why and how it happened.
T-Bone Accidents
T-bone accidents commonly occur at intersections. They involve a collision where the front end of one vehicle hits the side panel of another. They frequently occur when one driver passes through an intersection without stopping at a red light or stop sign and broadsides the other vehicle. T-bone accidents also occur when a driver is making a left turn, and the at-fault party cuts in front of the turning vehicle, causing a collision. It is obvious who is at fault in both scenarios, however, for a personal injury case to proceed, negligence must be proven.
Number of Broadside Accidents
T-bone accidents cause fatal injuries in 18 percent of all crashes and result in about 50 percent of all deaths. Approximately 8,000 to 10,000 individuals die in such accidents annually, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. T-bone accidents are especially dangerous for young children. The overall number of broadside accidents have increased in the past two decades by approximately 20 percent. This may be due to the increased traffic or the presence of big trucks or SUVs.
Why Are T-Bone Accidents So Dangerous?
Broadside accidents are dangerous because the side panel of vehicles lack safety features and protection from an impact. When a vehicle is hit in the rear, there is a bumper, trunk and back seats between the front passengers and the impact force. Alternately, the side panels consist of glass and an easily dented door. There are federal standards that car manufacturers must meet to protect against a side impact. Under the rule, carmakers will need to ensure chest and head safety protection. Some vehicles are already using head and torso side airbags for this purpose. These are aimed at reducing the risk when a vehicle is hit on the side by another. They will also protect drivers in a side impact with a tree or other obstacle.
Proving Liability
In accidents where one driver hits a vehicle broadside because they passed through a red light without stopping, the blame is clear. It is the driver who ignored the traffic signal who is at fault. But, there is another scenario. What happens when a driver cuts in front of another vehicle, leaving the driver of that car little room to evade hitting them. Many times, the at-fault driver will deny it was their fault and place the blame on the other driver. In this case, your car accident lawyer must take steps to show that it is not your fault.
How an Attorney Can Help
Proving negligence is the first step of a personal injury case, and unless that is done, the claim will not proceed. Your attorney will need to show that the negligent driver caused the accident. In a broadside accident where you might have hit the vehicle as they cut in front of you, each side will argue that it was not their fault. Our firm has dealt with this numerous times. We send our investigators to the scene of the crash to search for evidence that our client is faultless in the encounter. Accident reconstruction is one way of doing this, showing the beginning and end position of the vehicles. We map out the steps leading up to impact. Another tool we use is using video footage from traffic surveillance cameras and those found at nearby stores. Our investigators also interview witnesses who saw the accident occur. Once all this information is available, we turn it over to our legal team, who will use it to structure a strong case for our client.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. When you need legal assistance, call me at (916) 921-6400 or at (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. You can also reach out to me online.
I have helped many clients obtain the compensation they deserve in all types of car accidents, traumatic brain injuries, and wrongful death cases since 1982.
I hold membership in the following organizations, among others:
Please visit the following pages to learn about my practice:
Photo Attribution: Depositphotos_65724685_l-2015
:cd llo [cs 824]