Whether a simple sideswipe or a high-speed collision, a side-impact auto accident can be exceptionally dangerous compared to other types of car crashes. In these situations, there is no engine block or trunk between passengers and the car hitting them. Even modern safety features and design improvements can only do so much to mitigate the force that a multi-ton vehicle can impart into another car’s doors and side paneling.
When you are hurt in a side-impact/T-bone car accident in Hutto, taking prompt and proactive legal action against the person responsible for causing it can be vital to protecting your rights and best interests. A qualified car accident attorney can help establish someone else’s fault for your injuries and ensure you do not unfairly miss out on compensation because of comparative fault laws.
Unsurprisingly, side-impact auto accidents in Hutto most commonly happen where two perpendicular roads intersect. These collisions can also occur on highway entrance and exit ramps, in suburban neighborhoods, and even in crowded parking lots. Wherever the collision happens, though, the most important factor when it comes to filing suit will be determining who was negligent leading up to it. In other words, it is essential to determine whose reckless or careless act directly caused the wreck to occur in the first place.
Sometimes, establishing fault is fairly straightforward. For example, a police report created at the crash scene may note that one party ran a light or was speeding beforehand, making them primarily at fault for the ensuing collision. In other situations, proving someone else is at fault for a side-impact wreck can require evidence from various sources, including traffic and/or dashboard camera footage, testimony from witnesses, photos from the crash scene, and even physical debris from the wreck. An experienced legal team could take the lead in gathering the evidence needed to demonstrate how another person was liable for a T-bone wreck.
On top of proving someone else was to blame for causing a T-bone car crash in Hutto, it can also be vital for an injured person to disprove assertions that they share some fault. This is because state laws follow a comparative fault system codified in Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 33.001 through 33.017.
Under this system, a civil court may assign an injured person a percentage of total fault for a side-impact accident based on the extent to which their own negligence contributed to causing the incident. Furthermore, a court can bar any person found equally or primarily to blame for their own injuries from getting any civil compensation at all. Potential plaintiffs should enlist a knowledgeable attorney who can build the strongest possible case on their behalf and contest claims of shared fault.
Getting T-boned at any speed on any road can be a traumatic experience, especially if it leaves you with substantial physical injuries. Though you could be entitled to compensation that can help you afford medical expenses and cover other losses, it may add to your challenges to pursue legal action on your own.
Besides getting appropriate medical care, speaking with a skilled lawyer should be your highest priority after side-impact / T-bone car accidents in Hutto. Call our legal team today to schedule a meeting.