Chicago T-Bone Accident Lawyer

Few accidents are as terrifying and traumatic as a T-bone accident. Sometimes called angle collisions or broadside accidents, a T-bone car accident occurs when the front end of one car collides with the side of another. Those in the vehicle hit broadside often have little or no warning of impending impact. T-bone car accidents are a dangerous and sometimes deadly form of two-car collisions, making up 44.9% of two-car accidents and resulting in about 8,800 fatalities in 2022.

What Causes T-Bone Accidents In Chicago?

Chicago is a bustling urban mecca with over 3,000 intersections with traffic signals and thousands more unsignalized intersections. T-bone accidents in Chicago happen most often in intersections but also occur when cars leave parking lots or side streets and improperly enter moving traffic. Common causes of T-bone accidents in Chicago and elsewhere include the following:

• Failure to yield the right of way in an intersection
• Running red lights
• Improperly exiting a driveway, parking lot, or side street into traffic
• Distracted driving
• Drunk driving
• Speeding
• Aggressive or reckless driving
• Passing in an intersection

Inclement weather, poor visibility, icy roads, confusing intersections, and lack of adequate signage also cause or contribute to many T-bone accidents.

Proving Liability In Chicago T-Bone Accidents

Illinois is a fault-based insurance state with a modified comparative negligence insurance system requiring car accident victims to file claims against the liable party in an accident. While it may seem that the driver who hits another car broadside is always responsible, this isn’t always the case. For example, what if one car was forced into the intersection by a rear-end collision, or if a driver already in the intersection did not have the right of way? It often takes an investigation from the insurance companies and an injury victim’s attorney to determine each driver’s percentage of fault in a T-bone collision in Chicago. Proving liability requires documenting evidence showing the following:

• That the at-fault driver owed a duty of reasonable care to the injury victim and others on the road
• They breached this duty through negligence or recklessness behind the wheel
• Their breach of duty caused the accident and injuries
• The injury victim suffered economic and non-economic damages from the injury

Insurance companies assign insurance adjusters to protect their profits during the investigation and negotiations. Often, they do this by assigning a portion of fault to injury victims to reduce the amount they have to pay by that percentage of fault according to the comparative negligence laws. An attorney on your side safeguards your interests throughout the process.

What Compensation Can I Recover After a T-Bone Accident In Chicago?

T-bone accidents often result in serious or even catastrophic injuries to motorists in the car hit on the side. The side of a vehicle offers the least protection in a collision. Injuries range from fractures and sprains to traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord damage. Common damages in T-bone accident claims include the following:

• Property damage (vehicle repair or replacement costs)
• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost earnings
• Diminished future earning capacity
• Compensation for pain and suffering
• Compensation for other non-economic damage that sometimes applies such as loss of limb, loss of enjoyment of life, PTSD, or the loss of vision or hearing.

If a loved one dies in a T-bone accident, a wrongful death lawyer in Chicago could bring compensation to close family members.

How Can a T-Bone Accident Attorney In Chicago Help?

An experienced car accident attorney in Chicago is the best ally during a compensation claim after a T-bone accident. Contact Smith LaCien LLP for skilled legal counsel and the best possible results in your Chicago T-bone accident claim.