While there is usually one driver at fault, there are times when both drivers involved share fault for a t bone car accident.
Most T-bone crashes occur at intersections when a driver fails to heed a stop sign/red light. T-bone crashes are often complicated affairs and can, at times, be very challenging to prove liability. Below, we’ll look at how T-bone crashes occur and how liability is determined.
How Do T-Bone Accidents Happen?
As mentioned above, T-bone accidents usually happen at intersections, possibly because of intentional or unintentional running a stop sign or red light. However, this is not the only cause of T-bone collisions. Poor judgment, drunk driving, speeding, distracted driving, and poor road conditions can also lead to a T-bone collision.
Although rare, T-bone accidents can also happen on highways and in parking lots. A driver can lose control and skid sideways on highways, causing an oncoming vehicle to crash into it. One driver might be reversing out of a parking spot in parking lots, and another car crashes into its side.
How to Determine Liability in T- Bone Collisions
The problem with T-bone collisions is that it’s not that easy to tell who’s at fault. In fact, there are multiple scenarios where more than one party may be at fault for the accident. The most common parties responsible for T-bone accidents include:
One of the Drivers Involved in the Accident
In some instances, the drivers involved might share fault, and it’s generally up to the drivers’ attorneys to argue who had the right of way. Regardless of the situation, liability almost always leads back to a single driver. So the first thing an attorney will look at is who was involved in the T-bone crash. Next, an attorney will examine the circumstances leading to the accident and draw logical conclusions that trace back to the driver at fault.
A Third-Party Driver
In some instances, the driver at fault may sidestep the entire collision and drive off unscathed. For instance, a motorist may make an improper turn and make an oncoming vehicle swerve and hit another vehicle. In such a situation, the motorist who offsets the chain of events is generally to blame for the T-bone accident.
Other potentially at-fault parties include the local government, the road engineer, the vehicle manufacturer, or pedestrians.
Proving Liability
Proving liability in a T-bone accident is often not easy. You’ll benefit greatly from the help of a car accident attorney to gather strong evidence. Your attorney will then use the evidence to point fault at the other driver or prove that most of the liability falls on the other driver.
St. Louis T Bone Car Accident Attorney
If you have been involved in a St. Louis t bone car accident, get in touch with the experienced St. Louis car accident attorneys at The Hoffmann Law Firm for a FREE case evaluation.