Rear-End and T-Bone Collisions: Fault, Injuries and Evidence
Rear-end crashes and T-bone collisions are two crash types that come up often in injury claims. The label describes how the vehicles met, but it does not settle who was at fault. A car accident lawyer reviewing one of these crashes usually begins with the sequence of events, from each car's speed to the signals that controlled traffic.
How rear-end collisions happen
Many state traffic codes prohibit following another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, taking into account the speed of traffic and the condition of the road. Distraction is a frequent factor. NHTSA explains that sending or reading a text takes a driver's eyes off the road for 5 seconds, which at 55 mph is like driving the length of a football field with eyes closed. A car crash lawyer may ask for the other driver's phone records when distraction is suspected.
The trailing driver is often found at fault in a rear-end crash, but that is not automatic. A car that cuts in and brakes suddenly, brake lights that do not work or a vehicle backing up can shift some or all of the fault. In a multi-vehicle pileup, each impact is a separate event, and a middle car pushed into the car ahead may not be at fault for that second impact.
Neck injuries after a rear-end crash
Rear-end impacts are often associated with whiplash, a neck injury caused by a rapid back-and-forth movement of the head. Symptoms such as neck pain and headaches may not appear until hours after the crash, which is one reason a prompt medical evaluation matters. Insurance companies sometimes challenge injury claims after low-speed rear-end crashes, pointing to light vehicle damage. Medical records and photos of both vehicles help answer that argument, along with imaging such as an MRI when a doctor orders one.
What causes T-bone crashes
In a T-bone crash, the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another, most often at an intersection. Typical causes include failing to yield on a left turn and running a red light or a stop sign. The sides of a car have less room to absorb crash forces than the front or rear, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluates side protection in its own side-impact crash test. People seated on the struck side can suffer serious injuries such as traumatic brain injury or pelvic fractures.
These crashes often turn on who had the right of way. Useful evidence includes signal timing records, intersection camera video, nearby business surveillance footage, dashcam video and witness statements, as well as the event data recorder (EDR) in each car, which may hold speed and braking data from the seconds before the crash. An auto accident attorney will usually try to collect video quickly, because many systems record over old footage within days or weeks.
Shared fault and comparative negligence
Fault is not always all or nothing. Most states use some version of comparative negligence, which reduces a recovery by the injured person's percentage of fault. Under modified comparative negligence, a person found at least 50 or 51 percent at fault, depending on the state, may recover nothing, while pure comparative negligence allows a reduced recovery https://caraccidentlawyers.wiki/geography/united-states/georgia/ at any level of fault. A small number of jurisdictions still follow contributory negligence, which can bar recovery for even slight fault. A motor vehicle accident attorney can explain which rule applies where the crash happened.
Deadlines and general information
Each state sets its own statute of limitations for injury claims, and claims involving a government vehicle or agency can require written notice much sooner. This article is general information, not legal advice, and it cannot predict the outcome of any claim.