T-Bone Truck Accident Lawyer

Name: Truck Accident Guidebook: A Guide for Victims Injured in Commercial Vehicle Accidents
Author: Jonathan Rosenfeld

T-bone truck crashes and the severe injuries and fatalities they cause are often the results of underqualified or overworked drivers making critical errors at intersections.

Many of these truckers completely ignore traffic or work laws supposed to protect the rest of us who occupy the roads (per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).

The experienced Chicago, IL truck accident attorneys of Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC are surprised at the lack of training and oversight in the transportation and commercial truck industry. For decades, the trucking industry's negligence has led to preventable injuries and death.

Hiring a Stoplight Truck Accident Attorney

Our experienced truck accident attorneys have a solemn mission always to seek the maximum amount of compensation from the responsible parties allowed by Illinois law. Our law firm works on behalf of accident victims to send a message to the trucking industry that this behavior is intolerable and unacceptable.

If a large commercial truck went through a traffic signal or traffic lane or made an illegal left turn into oncoming traffic and slammed into the side of your vehicle, contact our experienced attorneys today for trusted legal counsel. Our attorneys will discuss your legal options during a free consultation on how to file and resolve a stoplight truck accident claim.

T-Bone Truck Accident Injury FAQs

What is a T-Bone in a Trucking Accident?

The impact force of the front of one car or truck striking the right or left side of another forms a "T" shape referred to as a T-bone. Many T-bone accidents occur at intersections when a motorist disregards a red light, stoplight, or stop sign, driving through the intersection into moving traffic.

These deadly impact collisions don't only happen at intersections but on interstates and freeways when motorists lose control and skid their vehicle sideways. Other T-bone accidents occur in parking lots when a vehicle in reverse backing out of their parking space strikes another vehicle's doors or front/back panel.

What Type of Injury is Commonly Associated With T-Bone Accidents?

The forceful impact of a T-bone collision where a car or truck crashes into the side of a vehicle causes a sudden jerk, throwing motorists and passengers sideways. These injured victims often experience broken neck vertebrae, whiplash, muscle sprains, and strains to the head, neck, and shoulders.

The delicate spinal cord can be injured from a forceful T-bone impact that results in herniated discs, broken vertebrae, sprains, and swollen or severed spinal columns.

What Happens if You Get T-Boned by a Commercial Vehicle?

Typically, a T-bone car collision is caused by a horrific side-impact, causing the motorists and passengers to endure severe injuries or wrongful death. Some victims in a T-bone accident will make contact with the impacting car or truck's front hood or grill.

Other victims might suffer crushing injuries to their thoracic cavity, organs, bones, arm, torso, head, and tissue. The impacted car's side door airbags might save passengers and the driver from harm, or at least reduce injuries during impact.

Who is at Fault in a T-Bone Accident?

Most T-bone crashes occur when both vehicles enter the intersection simultaneously. Typically, the police officer creating a report involving a T-bone collision will initially determine which driver was at fault for the crash.

The police officer should determine which vehicle had the right-of-way based on stop signage, traffic lights, or other controlled stops at the time of the accident. However, an attorney working on behalf of a T-bone accident victim might hire investigators to re-create the scene of the accident to prove that the other driver was at fault.

There might be video evidence from surveillance cameras posted at the intersection that could help determine which driver was responsible for the crash.

How do Semi-Truck Accidents Occur?

Any truck that broadsides a passenger vehicle could instantly cause catastrophic injuries to the driver and passengers upon impact. In many intersection truck accidents, the truck driver drove through a stop sign or ran a red light broadsiding the car.

Some truck T-bone accidents occur when the trucker is distracted at the intersection by talking or texting on their smartphone. Other accidents are the result of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, nodding off (fatigue), or failing brakes.

What to do After a Chicago Side Impact Truck Accident

An intersection truck accident lawyer working on behalf of the victim will seek answers during a commercial vehicle crash investigation to determine factual evidence of how the truck driver slammed into the side of the passenger vehicle. Answering the following questions with a truck accident attorney can help determine who was at fault for the side-impact collision and lay the foundation for your case when you have been injured or lost a loved one.

What effort did the motorist make to make a complete stop and avoid the accident? Witness testimony and an analysis of the scene of the crash can answer the question. Tire marks, debris at traffic lights, and an evaluation of where the truck impacted with your vehicle or other obstacles can help determine whether the truck was accelerating or decelerating at the time of impact.

Does the truck driver have a record of past violations or incidents? Trucking companies are responsible for holding their drivers accountable and checking their prior histories before bringing them on board as a company truck driver. The employer could be held accountable if the trucker has a history of reckless behavior or violating the law.

Was insufficient maintenance or poor visibility a factor in the accident? Many trucking companies cut corners to skimp on inspections and repairs. So, gaining access to the maintenance records of the truck might reveal whether the vehicle was maintained correctly before the incident.

Could you file a product liability claim citing defective equipment? Manufacturers that sell defective or poorly designed tires, brakes, and other critical equipment could be held liable if the components failed to perform as designed.

What was the state of the trucker at the time of the accident? Reviewing work logs and investigating whether those logs were forged can reveal whether fatigue was a factor that caused the incident. Additionally, it is crucial to demand drug testing to determine if the trucker was under the influence of a controlled substance when the crash occurred.

Right of way Cited in Many Intersection Truck Crash Accidents Across Chicago

Most T-bone trucking collisions are caused by the failure of the trucker to yield the right of way to other traffic (in a parking lot, street, etc.), due to distraction, fatigue, or some other contributing factor. Most of these collisions occur when a truck runs a red light or stop sign or does not slow down at an uncontrolled intersection.

Speeding could be another contributing factor when truckers attempt to make it through a yellow light or to beat another vehicle to the crossing. This form of recklessness should never be tolerated by anyone when truckers are trusted with the operation of a large and heavy semi-tractor-trailer.

T-Bone Accident Severe Injuries and Fatalities

The horrific impact of colliding with a large truck will likely create life-altering consequences, including the following:

You might be severely injured with broken bones, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, soft-tissue complications, and other harm.
You could encounter large upfront financial losses, including hospitalization costs, medical bills, and other out-of-pocket losses like lost income from time away from work.
You might likely find long-term detrimental effects from the accident that intangibly and negatively affect you like pain, scarring, disability, lost enjoyment of life, inability to participate in recreational activities, etc.
The side-impact crash might take the life of your loved ones and leave a gap in your life due to the lost support, consortium, companionship, and affection.

Of course, all truck accident injuries are recoverable in Chicago court through a personal injury lawsuit. However, having a helpful semi-truck accident law firm by your side through the process could ensure you do not squander your legal opportunity for justice.

Chicago T-Bone Accidents Facts

According to statistics maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA):

Almost 10,000 people die annually in T-bone accidents nationwide.
Around one in five motor vehicle fatalities involve T-bone crashes.
Over ten percent of truck accident cases are T-bone collisions.
The most common causes of T-bone incidents include failure to yield and distracted driving.

Committed and Helpful Stoplight Truck Accident Lawyers in Chicago

Our Chicago truck crash attorneys often find that fatigue, a history of poor maintenance, and driver inexperience are common underlying factors in car accidents. It is the employer's responsibility to provide proper training and ensure that all drivers are compliant with the law regarding hours of service and ensure that they abide by all applicable United States traffic laws.

If you are involved in a T-bone accident with a truck in Chicago, take the following steps with qualified legal advocates to ensure you don't give up your right to recover financial compensation:

Obtain the contact information of all drivers, eyewitnesses, and companies involved in the incident
Take statements from all relevant witnesses who can provide testimony involving the auto accident
Engage with the trucker's insurance company and other accident victims during benefit negotiations
File a comprehensive car crash complaint in court before the deadline expires
Appear in court to put the pressure on all defendants listed in the big rig accident claim

Relief and Financial Compensation Available After a Side Impact Truck Accident

It is crucial to analyze the value of a Chicago personal injury lawsuit and include the cost of time and resources it will take to resolve the case. The value of each claim should be based on the plaintiff's injuries and devastation.

Most plaintiffs involved in large truck crash complaints will make pleas for financial compensation and ask the court for damages to cover their expenses. Next, they ask the court for damages for the negative effect of the incident, including suffering and reduced quality of life.

Experienced legal advocates can bolster these pleas for relief to obtain more recovery and compensation for you. To learn about what you could obtain in a Chicago truck accident lawsuit, schedule a consultation with our legal team.

Chicago Truck Accident Law Firm and Personal Injury Attorneys

Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC has represented the victims and surviving family members of thousands of auto and tractor-trailer truck accidents. With our years of experience, we have successfully obtained compensation for our clients, making us the trusted award-winning firm in Illinois.

If you suffered serious injuries or lost a loved one in a T-bone trucking accident, our legal counsel can assist you in receiving the medical care you need. Working on your behalf, we will deal with insurance companies and seek compensation from the party who wronged you by filing and resolving a lawsuit on your behalf.

Contact our personal injury lawyers at (888) 424-5757 or through the contact form to schedule a risk-free case evaluation with our Chicago trucking accident attorneys. Please do not send any confidential or sensitive information to our law office through a chat, email, voicemail, text message, or contact form.

Your discussions with our personal injury law firm will remain confidential through an attorney-client relationship. In addition to providing representation for personal injury claims and property damage cases, our attorneys also handle fatal accident wrongful death lawsuits involving a family member.

Our Chicago auto accident attorneys currently follow social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

Sources for General Information Purposes About Side Impact Truck Accidents

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Jonathan Rosenfeld was professionally objective, timely, and knowledgeable. Also, his advice was extremely effective regarding my case. In addition, Jonathan was understanding and patient pertaining to any of my questions or concerns. I was very happy with the end result and I highly recommend Jonathan Rosenfeld. Michonne Proulx

Extremely impressed with this law firm. They took control of a bad motorcycle crash that left my uncle seriously injured. Without any guarantee of a financial recovery, they went out and hired accident investigators and engineers to help prove how the accident happened. I am grateful that they worked on a contingency fee basis as there was no way we could have paid for these services on our own. Ethan Armstrong

This lawyer really helped me get compensation for my motorcycle accident case. I know there is no way that I could have gotten anywhere near the amount that Mr. Rosenfeld was able to get to settle my case. Thank you. Daniel Kaim

Jonathan helped my family heal and get compensation after our child was suffered a life threatening injury at daycare. He was sympathetic and in constant contact with us letting us know all he knew every step of the way. We were so blessed to find Jonathan! Giulia

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