PITTSBURGH SIDE IMPACT CRASH ATTORNEY

Side-impact collisions, also known as T-bone car crashes, kill an estimated up to 10,000 people in the U.S. per year. When a vehicle is hit by another vehicle from the driver’s side, the risk of suffering life-threatening injury or death to the driver increases tenfold.

As its name implies, side-impact crashes refer to car accidents in which one vehicle hits the side of another vehicle. More often than not, T-bone collisions are caused by driver negligence and can entail hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in medical expenses.

CAUSES OF T-BONE OR SIDE-IMPACT ACCIDENTS

“When a side-impact car crash occurs, it is usually because one of the drivers is either careless or negligent,” explains our Pittsburgh side-impact crash attorney at Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman.

The most common causes of side-impact, T-bone or side-swipe accidents that involve driver negligence include:

  • Drunk driving
  • Drugged driving
  • Distracted driving
  • Aggressive driving
  • Speeding
  • Failure to yield the right of way
  • Drowsy driving
  • Failure to obey traffic rules
  • Running red lights
  • Failure to check blind spots
  • Performing unsafe lane changes and
  • Pulling out into oncoming traffic

INJURIES IN A SIDE-IMPACT CRASH

The severity of injuries caused by side-impact car accidents varies from one case to another and can be life-threatening even if the vehicle is equipped with side airbags. “After all, the risk of injury in a side-impact accident is generally higher than in frontal impacts because there is little vehicle structure and you are basically protected only by the door and window,” explains our experienced side-impact accident attorney in Pittsburgh.

In a rear-end accident, on the other hand, you are protected by several feet of steel and metal, trunk, and seats. Since the sides of your vehicle absorb the most force of a collision, the risk of suffering life-threatening injuries is extremely high. Common injuries caused by T-bone collisions include:

  • Brain injury or head trauma
  • Fractured bones
  • Back and neck injuries
  • Lacerations, bruising, and scarring
  • Broken ribs
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Internal bleeding and
  • Herniated disc

HOW TO DETERMINE FAULT IN A T-BONE COLLISION?

In many cases, victims of side-impact accidents are able to prove that the other driver was at fault after seeking legal advice from a skilled T-bone accident lawyer. Establishing fault in any car accident can be tough, but it’s even more difficult when you were injured in a side-impact crash.

Oftentimes, lawyers have to get help from accident reconstruction experts who have specific knowledge of physics, dynamics, and engineering, all of which help re-create a motor vehicle accident and determine who was at fault for causing it.

Regardless of whether you were the one who crashed into the side of another vehicle or another motorist hit the side of your vehicle, do not admit fault at the scene even if you are absolutely sure that you did something wrong prior to the collision. It is always a good idea to consult with an experienced car accdent lawyer to investigate your case and determine liability. After all, you never know if the other driver may have made an even bigger mistake.

Schedule a free consultation with our attorneys at Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman to discuss your side-impact accident case and determine liability. Call our offices at 888-988-9467.

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