Phoenix T-Bone Collision Accident Lawyers

T-bone collisions often result in devastating injuries for those involved. Unfortunately, these accidents are not uncommon in Phoenix and throughout the state of Arizona. At Torgenson Law, our  Phoenix car accident lawyers are standing by to help if you need a Phoenix T-bone collision accident attorney. We have the resources necessary to conduct a complete investigation into your case in order to help you recover the compensation you need. If the careless or negligent actions of another driver caused your crash, we will work diligently to secure the compensation you need through an insurance settlement or through a personal injury jury verdict.

Why Choose Torgenson Law for Your Case?

• At Torgenson Law, we have more than 20 years of experience representing car accident injury victims in Phoenix and throughout Arizona.
• We focus solely on personal injury law, which gives us a deep understanding of the processes, laws, and practices necessary to help our clients recover compensation.
• We believe in providing a client-centered approach to every case that we take. We listen to the goals and needs of our clients so we can formulate the best case strategy moving forward.

What Will a T-Bone Collision Attorney Do?

A skilled Phoenix personal injury attorney will be able to handle every aspect of a T-bone collision on your behalf. The reality is that these incidents can become complicated, particularly when it comes to determining fault. Even if the evidence seems to point a particular way, you need to understand that the insurance carriers involved have a way of turning things around and pointing the finger in the other direction. 

A Phoenix T-bone accident lawyer can conduct a complete investigation into the incident in order to get the evidence needed to prove fault. This can include statements from eyewitnesses, photographs from the scene of the crash, video surveillance from nearby cameras, and more. 

An attorney will also ensure that T-bone accident victims are evaluated by a trusted medical professional who can treat their injuries while also helping to calculate total expected losses. Using all this information, an attorney will negotiate with insurance carriers to secure a fair settlement for their client.

Most Common T-Bone Accident Injuries in Phoenix

Accidents caused by T-bone collisions are often severe, particularly when one of the vehicles is moving at a relatively high rate of speed. Unlike accidents that impact a vehicle from the front or rear, a T-bone collision means that those in the vehicle struck on the side have very little protection. Yes, many modern vehicles do have side impact airbags, but that does not guarantee that all severe injuries will be prevented.

At Torgenson Law, our attorneys regularly help clients who have sustained the following injuries in these incidents:

• Deep bruising or contusions
• Broken or dislocated bones
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Concussions
• Open head wounds or facial fractures
• Spinal cord trauma
• Whiplash
• Other severe neck or back injury
• Internal organ damage
• Internal bleeding
• Lacerations or puncture wounds

In addition to these acute traumatic injuries, Phoenix T-bone collision injury victims may also experience significant emotional and psychological trauma caused by the incident. This can include feelings of anxiety, fear, depression, and stress that lasts for months or even years after a collision occurs. It is not uncommon for us to help clients who have sustained post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of a T-bone collision.

Time Limit to File a Phoenix T-Bone Accident Claim

T-bone accident victims in Phoenix need to be aware that they have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit in these cases. The personal injury statute of limitations in Arizona is two years from the date an injury occurs. If a crash victim fails to file a lawsuit within this two-year time frame, they will be unable to recover the compensation they are entitled to for their losses.

Aside from the state-defined statute of limitations, T-bone collision victims need to be aware that insurance carriers have their own deadlines in place in these situations. Typically, insurance carriers require that the crash be reported within a day or two after the incident occurs. If there is a delay with reporting a car accident to an auto insurance carrier, the claim could be delayed or denied altogether.

When you get assistance from a T-bone collision lawyer in Phoenix, you will have an advocate by your side who will make sure that your claim gets filed on time with the insurance carriers and that any needed personal injury lawsuit is filed before the statute of limitations expires.

Types of Compensation Available 

T-bone collision victims in Phoenix may be entitled to various types of compensation for their losses. At Torgenson Law, our attorneys work diligently to recover both economic and non-economic compensation on behalf of every client that we help.

• Economic compensation. This is also called special damages and refers to the types of compensation a T-bone collision victim may be entitled to for the direct economic and calculable losses they experience. This can include, but is not limited to, the following:
  • Medical bills related to the crash
  • Lost income if a victim cannot work
  • Property damage expenses
  • General household out-of-pocket expenses
• Non-economic compensation. This is also called general damages and refers to the more immeasurable losses a T-bone collision victim is likely to suffer from. There are no bills and receipts that can be added up to properly measure the following:
  • Pain and suffering damages
  • Emotional distress damages
  • Loss of enjoyment of life damages
  • Loss of consortium for a spouse

There is no set amount of money available to T-bone collision victims in Phoenix. When working to calculate economic damages, a victim and their attorney will gather up all of the medical bills, proof of lost wages, and other receipts and add them up. Determining non-economic damages is more challenging. In most situations, a “multiplier method” will be used. This means that an attorney will take the total obtained for the economic damages and multiply that by a set number, typically ranging from 1.5 to 5. This will give the appropriate total for non-economic damages.

What if You Were Partially At-Fault? 

The good news is that even a person partially at fault for a T-bone collision in Phoenix will still likely be able to recover compensation for their losses. Arizona operates under what is called a “pure comparative negligence” system. This means that a crash victim can recover compensation even if they are up to 99% at fault for an incident. However, the total amount of compensation a person receives will be reduced based on their percentage of fault for the T-bone collision.

For example, let us suppose that a driver comes to a four-way stop, stops the vehicle, and then proceeds when they have the right of way. If that driver is then T-boned by another vehicle whose driver ran another stop sign at the intersection, we would typically find that driver who ran the stop sign would be at fault. However, what happens if the collision took place at night and the driver who was T-boned did not have their lights on at the time?

In this case, there will likely be shared fault for the incident. Let us suppose that the driver who was T-boned was found to be 30% responsible for the incident because they did not have their lights on at night. If that driver sustained $100,000 worth of medical bills and other expenses, then they would receive $70,000 instead to account for their 30% of the fault.

Steps to Take After a Phoenix T-Bone Collision

There are various steps that individuals involved in T-bone collisions can take to help ensure that they recover maximum compensation for their losses.

• Get to a safe place. In aftermath of many vehicle accidents, drivers are able to get their vehicle to a safe place, which is particularly important if a crash occurs on a busy roadway. However, T-bone collisions may prevent accident victims from moving their vehicles very far. If a collision occurs on a very dangerous stretch of roadway and the injuries are not severe, those involved should get themselves well off the roadway. However, if there are any major injuries, those injured need to remain where they are and wait for medical personnel.
• Call 911. Somebody needs to call 911 and report the incident to the police. The dispatcher needs to be notified about where the incident is and whether or not there are any injuries.
• Seek medical care. Any person involved in a T-bone collision needs to seek immediate medical care. Often, the signs and symptoms of T-bone accident injuries do not appear until hours or even days after the crash occurs. By seeking prompt medical care, those involved are ensuring their well-being and establishing a solid link between the crash and the injuries.
• Gather evidence. Evidence can be gathered at the scene of the crash, but only if it is safe to do so and if those gathering evidence are not injured. Using a smartphone or another type of camera, photographs should be taken of everything around the scene. This can include injuries, vehicle damage, debris, skid marks, traffic and weather conditions, and more. Additionally, the contact information of any eyewitnesses needs to be written down so these individuals can be contacted by insurance carriers later on.
• Report the incident to insurance carriers. After being involved in a T-bone collision, you will need to report the incident to your insurance carrier very quickly. However, your initial report does not need to go into much detail. You need to limit what you say to your insurance carrier to details about where the accident occurred, the name and information of other drivers involved, and whether or not you are seeking medical care for your injuries.
• Contact an attorney. A skilled Phoenix T-bone accident attorney should be contacted very soon after the collision. An attorney will be able to handle every aspect of the claim for you, including investigating the incident, gathering the evidence necessary to prove liability, and handling all communication with insurance carriers. An attorney can negotiate with insurance carriers while also fully preparing the case for trial if necessary.
• Keep all receipts. Those involved in a T-bone collision need to keep track of every expense that they have resulting from the incident. This includes medical bills, property damage receipts, general household out-of-pocket expense receipts, proof of lost wages, and more. All of this information will need to be handed over to insurance carriers at some point.
• Continue all medical care. Individuals involved in T-bone collisions need to continue all medical care until their doctor says they have reached maximum medical improvement. When a crash victim discontinues care against medical advice, this could be taken as a sign by insurance carriers that their injuries are not as severe as originally claimed.

Affording a T-Bone Collision Attorney in Phoenix

We know that one of the main reasons that individuals avoid contacting an attorney after a T-bone accident is their concern about how they will pay for the legal assistance. At Torgenson Law, we want you to know that we take the next T-bone accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that our clients will not have to pay any upfront or out-of-pocket costs related to their accident in the Phoenix area. Our clients will only pay legal fees after we successfully recover the compensation they need through a settlement or jury verdict. If we do not win, our clients do not pay a dime.

Reach Out to a T-Bone Collision Lawyer in Phoenix

If you or somebody you love has been injured in a T-bone accident caused by the negligent actions of another driver in the Phoenix area, contact the team at Torgenson Law for help immediately. We understand that you need compensation for your losses, and we have the resources necessary to handle every aspect of your claim. Let us investigate the crash, determine liability, and aggressively negotiate with insurance carriers so we can recover the compensation you are entitled to. When you need a Phoenix T-bone collision accident attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation of your case by clicking here to fill out our contact form or calling us at (602) 641-3007.