T-bone accidents are the most common type of two-car collisions on U.S. roadways, including in New Haven. When the front end of one car collides with the side of another vehicle it forms a T-shape. Sometimes called angle collisions or broadside accidents, T-bone collisions make up 44.9% of collisions and caused 8,800 deaths in 2022.
T-bone collisions usually occur in intersections, when one driver fails to follow traffic laws and doesn’t yield the right of way. T-bone accidents result in some of the most serious car accident injuries, including the most damaging injuries to backseat occupants.
Common Causes of T-Bone Collisions in New Haven
Most T-bone collisions are intersection accidents but they also sometimes occur when one vehicle leaves a parking lot or driveway and fails to yield the right of way to a car or truck already in the intersection. Common causes of T-bone accidents in New Haven include the following:
Failure to yield the right of way in an intersection or running a red light or stop sign
Improperly exiting a driveway or parking lot
Distracted driving
Driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances
Reckless driving
Drowsy driving
Slippery roadways and inclement weather conditions sometimes cause or contribute to T-bone collisions when a vehicle slides into an intersection and collides with a car or truck already crossing the intersection.
Injuries in New Haven T-Bone Collisions
When the front of one car collides with the side of another, motorists in both vehicles may suffer injuries but the occupants of the vehicle hit on the side often suffer the most serious injuries in T-bone accidents. The side of a vehicle is thin and lacks the buffer zone of the front end’s engine or the trunk in the back. With only the thin, lightweight doors and sides of the car between occupants and impact, serious injuries such as the following are common:
Fractures
Shoulder injuries
Knee injuries
Wrist injuries
Back injuries
Neck injuries
Head injuries/traumatic brain injuries
Bruises, lacerations, and abrasions
Spinal cord damage
Chest trauma
Internal organ damage
Traumatic amputations
Serious injuries have life-altering consequences for the victims. These consequences may be temporary or permanent depending on the severity of the injury. The consequences of a T-bone accident in New Haven are the victim’s “damages” in a car accident claim, including medical expenses, lost income, and compensation for pain and suffering, but before a car accident claim can be successful, the injury victim must prove the other driver’s liability for the accident.
Proving Fault in a T-Bone Accident
It might seem as though the driver who hit the other car broadside is always the person at fault in a T-bone accident, but that’s not always the case. What if that driver had a green light and the other driver was in the intersection because they ran a red light? Proving fault and liability in the accident requires an investigation to determine which driver had the right of way and which driver failed to yield due to distraction, an error, or by wrongdoing, such as intentionally driving through a red light or stop sign.
Proving liability in fault-based insurance states like Connecticut requires documenting evidence showing that the at-fault driver owed a duty of care to take all reasonable actions to avoid causing an accident, they breached this duty through negligence, their breach of duty caused injury, and the injury victim suffered economic and non-economic damages from the injury.
How Can a T-Bone Accident Lawyer in New Haven Help?
The New Haven car accident attorneys at Weber & Rubano have the resources and investigative skills to compile evidence of liability and present a compelling case for recovering the largest amount of compensation available. Call our New Haven law office today for a free consultation so we can begin a strategy for your financial recovery while you focus on your physical recovery.