A side impact accident (also known as a T-bone) under any circumstances has the potential to cause severe injuries to impacted drivers and passengers. When this kind of incident involves a commercial truck hitting an ordinary car, the results can be deadly. Even sideswipe accidents and other incidents that occur at low speeds could result in life-changing harm, given the immense size and weight of the average tractor-trailer.
Seeking civil compensation in the wake of such an accident is a complicated and time-sensitive process, which is why it is important for you to work with competent legal counsel. Board Certified David E. Gordon, an experienced truck accident attorney who knows how to handle side impact truck accidents in Olive Branch, is the kind of ally who could make all the difference in the outcome of your claim.
Potential Injuries in Side Impact Truck Crashes
While cars manufactured today have many more safety features than older cars, devices like airbags and seatbelts are mostly designed for head-on and rear-end collisions. Even if a vehicle has side airbags, the frame of any car is going to be thinner on the sides than anywhere else, which means passengers are more exposed to impacts that occur from that angle.
Common injuries seen in Olive Branch side impact truck accidents include:
- Lacerations from broken glass
- Soft tissue injuries, including muscle tears and ligament sprains
- Severe bone fractures, especially in the arms, legs, pelvis, and ribs
- Perforation of internal organs
- Severe brain damage and/or spine trauma, potentially resulting in permanent paralysis
T-bone accidents most commonly occur at intersections, but they can also happen at highway speeds if a truck driver does not check their blind spots and ends up swerving into a smaller vehicle. Regardless of the exact cause of a side impact crash, any such incident resulting from a truck driver’s negligence may be grounds for civil litigation.
Pursuing Compensation After a Collision
Like any other claim based around a car accident, litigation following side impact truck wrecks in Olive Branch usually requires showing that a trucker violated their duty of care to other people around them. This duty requires them to drive carefully and obey traffic laws at all times, while any failure to do so will likely constitute legal negligence if it directly leads to a crash.
However, people driving cars also owe a duty to truck drivers. If a person injured in a collision also violated a traffic law or did something irresponsible, they may have their recoverable compensation reduced by their percentage of fault. For instance, if a plaintiff were found 20 percent liable for their injuries, the most they would be able to recover would be 80 percent of the total value of their losses. David can speak with a client about how their potential liability might impact a case.
Learn More from an Olive Branch Attorney After a Side Impact Truck Accident
There are few types of motor vehicle accidents more dangerous than those involving tractor-trailers. When a truck of that size hits a smaller vehicle in the side, it is unfortunately common for life-long and sometimes fatal injuries to result. If you were hurt in a side impact truck accident in Olive Branch, you may be dealing with massive medical bills, significant physical pain, and severe emotional trauma.
Fortunately, all of those damages and more could be factored into a civil settlement demand or lawsuit with help from the law firm of David E. Gordon. Call today to find out how they can help you put your life back on track.
