When you take to the road, you expect that drivers uphold their duty of care and responsibility to you and everyone else. However, when drivers neglect this duty and cause you harm, the impact of your injuries could leave you not only physically wounded, by emotionally and financially drained. When this happens, you need to contact an attorney who could review your case. A St. Louis side-impact collision lawyer can not only review your case but assess it for possible compensation.
How St. Louis Law Defines Side-Impact Collisions
St. Louis law defines side-impact wrecks in a straight-forward manner. A side-impact collision is when the front end of one car hits the side of another car. They are often referred to as T-bone collisions. A side impact may also be when the two sides of two vehicles hit. That is more unusual but sometimes happens on a highway when one driver tries to change lanes, pulls out, and does not see the car next to them and the two sides collide.
Trends and Commonalities Surrounding Side-Impact Accidents in St. Louis
Many side-impact accidents happen at stoplights when a driver does not stop when they should have. If a vehicle has a green arrow to turn left and the oncoming traffic has a red light, a T-bone crash could occur if the driver with the red light runs through the red light. In other cases, there are situations where the left-turn light has a yield sign, which means that oncoming traffic has the right of way. Sometimes in a T-bone crash, the person making the left-hand turn misjudges how fast a vehicle is coming and makes their turn. The other driver has the green light and has every expectation that they have the right of way when suddenly a car appears and there is a collision. The result of both accidents is nearly identical: a T-bone crash in the middle of an intersection.
Liability can be different because in the first scenario where the left-turn person has a green light, the person who hits them almost universally has run a red light and the liability is on that person. In the second scenario where both drivers have a green light, the left-turn individual has a yield, but legally could turn if they suspect no one else is oncoming. In those situations, liability may be found against the driver who is turning because they did not pay attention to oncoming traffic. Regardless of what the circumstances around your case might be, contacting a St. Louis could be the first step in determining the degrees of fault in your case.
Common Effects of Side-Impact Collisions
Most commonly, damage from a side-impact collision is on the front of one car and the side of another car. Generally, the front of a car inflicts more damage on the side of the other car because there is more weight at the front of a car. Commonly, for victims of side-impacts, many vehicles have the side caved into the passenger compartment and can present a slew of injuries.
Head injuries are frequent injuries in side-impact collisions. If an individual is involved in a vehicle that is T-boned, their head and body snap toward the vehicle that hits them. If the vehicle hits the driver’s side, everyone in the vehicle is thrown toward the driver’s side. Depending upon where you were sitting in your accident, you may have sustained a head injury from hitting the side of the vehicle or the window.
Neck injuries are also common in side impact collisions. Even low-speed side-impact collisions can cause serious neck injuries because the neck is strained by the sudden movement to one side or the other.
The injuries in side-impact collisions range from minor to serious. An individual could have internal head injuries, skull fractures, brain injuries, neck injuries, and broken legs, or they may have internal injuries depending upon the severity of the impact. Similarly, individuals might suffer relatively minor injuries that are at worst bothersome but are not life-threatening.
Regardless of the seriousness of your injury, you need to contact an experienced car accident attorney in St. Louis who is familiar with side-impact vehicle wrecks.
Connect with a St. Louis T-Bone Accident Attorney Today
After sustaining a crash that leaves you with any form of injury, it is important to contact a legal professional who is experienced with your specific type of crash. A St. Louis side-impact accident lawyer can evaluate the details of your crash, injuries, and future options during your consultation. When you are ready to take the first steps toward maximizing compensation, reach out.