T-Bone Accident Lawyer in Maryland

Who is At-Fault in a T-Bone Collision in Maryland

The hardship of determine the fault in broadside crashes lies in conflicting stories from drivers at the scene. The fault is focused on who had the right of way and what was happening prior to accident. It is very important to determine the fault and that the at-fault driver is held liable in case of compensation seeking.

Anyways, hiring legal representatives may be the best solution in these she-said-he-said situations. The attorney will investigate the case and gather all necessary evidence and documents to support the claim.

The state of Maryland follows the rule of contributory negligence which states that anyone whose negligent driving caused the crash and injuries, won’t be able to collect a dime from another party. Mostly, one driver is held responsible for a T-bone crash, but there are some cases when the fault is shared which makes it even more complicated for personal injury claims.

Commonly, the at-fault party violated some traffic rules such as:

• Failing to obey a stop sign
• Running through the red light
• Failing to yield at the place where another vehicle has the right of way
• Distracted driving – texting, using a cell phone, changing radio stations, etc.
• Speeding
• Aggressive driving
• DUI
• Illegal left turn

There are some situations when the fault is not on the drivers but on natural impact or road defects. In these situations, collecting the evidence to determine the liability is crucial. Unpredictable events include:

• Impaired road conditions
• Bad weather – snowstorms, heavy rain, hail, etc.
• Mechanical issue in one or both vehicles
• Traffic signals failure
• Badly designed intersections

Proving Liability in A T-Bone Accident in Maryland

Any vehicle accident is a life-changing event and it carries a great financial burden. The personal injury law will protect the party injured because of someone else’s negligence and prevent them from enduring physical, emotional and financial weight.

Injury attorneys who deal with personal injury claims are experienced in proving the liability and help the injured party receive compensation for damages. The evidences which are gathered to prove the liability may be the following:

• Police and medical assistance reports
• Photos or video taken at the scene
• Witnesses’ statements
• Damages of the vehicle
• Mechanic report about the vehicle’s condition
• Experts’ statements

Filing the police report is not mandatory and in situations when parties did not suffer major injuries the police does not even come to the scene. Of course, it is advisable to have a police report since some drivers file a claim after some time has passed since the accidents, so documents get lost and memory a bit too. Also, taking photos and videos right after the accident may benefit you in the compensation case. If there is no imagery evidence other drivers may easily deny the fault and you won’t have anything to disprove it.

Statute of Limitations in Maryland

In most Maryland car accidents the deadline for filing the claim is three years from the moment an accident occurs. But there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, if a minor was involved in an accident, the three years period will begin from the day they turn 18. Also, the rule is different for wrongful death claims and in this case, the time counts from the day of death. Lastly, if a person was mentally incapacitated at the moment of an accident, the clock starts ticking from the time a driver becomes mentally stable again.

Common Side-Impact Accident Injuries

Journal of Safety Research reports that the T-bone accident injuries tend to be severe because of the mechanism of the crash itself. Side impact accidents fatality rates are higher than in other crashes since the side protection is limited and due to intrusion of vehicle structures. The injuries are mainly caused by the great force when vehicle crash and unresponsiveness of body movements.

Common injured body part are chest, abdomen, head and face, lower extremities and less likely neck and spine. The injuries which may be deadly are brain, thoracic aorta, and heart. Some other typical T-bone injuries are concussion, broken bones, whiplash, muscle and soft tissues. Those who were involved in an accident may develop PTSD (Post Traumatic Disorder), and this mental blockage usually prevents people from working, going outside, and enjoying life again.