We Are Your Experienced Car Accident Lawyers - Christopher M. Turak - GKT
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Side Collision (T-Bone) Car Accident Lawyer

Side collision accidents, more commonly referred to as “T-bone” accidents, occur when the front end of a car crashes into the side of another car.  The crashed cars resemble the letter “T” or a T-bones steak and hence why they’re referred to as “T-bone accidents.” T-bone accidents are less common than other types of car accident cases but, like head-on collisions, often result in more severe and life-threatening injuries and death.  That’s due in so small part because the front end of one car is crashing into the side of the other car, where there is less protection for the driver or passenger.  Injured?  Need help?  Get help.  Get GKT.  We are available 24 hours a day by phone or text at (304) 845-9750, or online through Live Chat nor our consultation form. 

T-Bone Car Accidents

T-bone accidents typically occur at intersections when, for example, drivers run red lights or run through stop signs.  When a driver runs a red light at an intersection, it puts them at greater risk for a T-bone accident, where they hit the side of another car or another car hits the side of their car.  Drunk drivers, impaired drivers, or distracted drivers play a major role in many T-bone accidents. 

Side Collision Car Accident Fault

When a person suffers a car accident injury, determining who is at fault for the accident is extremely important.  If an injured person is found to not be at fault for a car accident, they could be entitled to greater or additional compensation than if they were at fault.  The circumstances surrounding the car accident are key to making this determination. 

Unfortunately, determining who is at fault for a car accident is not always easy.  Was the traffic light yellow or red when the car entered the intersection?  Was the driver of the car speeding, or was he driving the speed limit?  Was the driver of the car texting while driving?  Oftentimes, people who were involved in the car wreck have different recollections of what preceded the crash.  Contacting a car accident lawyer as soon as possible after a crash is critical to securing evidence to protect your rights. 

People injured in car accidents are sometimes told by an insurance company that they’re at fault or they simply assume that they are at fault.  Don’t fall into this trap.  A knowledgeable and experienced car accident lawyer like those at GKT can investigate the accident, gather the facts, and make sure you receive the compensation you deserve.

T-Bone Car Accident Causes

As discussed previously, there are many, many different causes to car accidents.  Most times, the cause of a car accident cannot be distilled down to one cause.  Many factors are typically at play in a car accident.  A knowledgeable and experienced car accident lawyer, like those at GKT, have the ability to dig down into the details to make sure a person injured in a car accident receives the compensation they deserve.

Speeding

Speeding is a leading cause of all car accident types and is perhaps the biggest factor as to the severity of injuries suffered in a crash.  Generally,  the higher the speed, the more likely for car accidents to occur, the more likely for car accidents to result in injuries, and the more likely any injuries will severe or life-threatening. 

We all know what speeding is.  Speeding is travelling faster than the posted speed limit.  However, what most people don’t realize is that under some circumstances, a driver can still be speeding if going at or below the speed limit.  How is that?  Take an example.  If you’re driving 65 miles per hour during a severe snow storm because the posted speed limit is 65 miles per hour, are you speeding?  The likely answer is yes.  Speeding is driving your car at an unsafe speed taking into consideration all of the circumstances, including weather and road conditions.  Thus, just because a driver was driving at the speed limit does not mean he or she cannot be at fault.  The best car injury lawyers can navigate these and other tricky issues. 

Running Red Lights and Stop Signs

Running red lights and stop signs is also another major cause of car accidents.  Failure to obey these traffic signals, and others, causes thousands of car accident injuries each year.  As discussed above, running red lights and stop signs can result in some of the more serious car accident injuries.

Unfortunately, whether a car ran a red light or stop sign are some of the more contested issues when determining fault in surrounding car accidents.  That’s because different witnesses to the car accident sometimes have different recollections of the key facts.  For example, if a driver allegedly ran a red light causing a T-bone car accident, the driver might say that the stop light was yellow.  The driver of the other car might say that his light had just turned green and thus the driver’s light could not have been yellow.  A third party witness might say that they think the driver’s light was yellow but can’t be 100% sure.  An experienced car accident lawyer can help make sense of it all get to the truth. 

Failure to Maintain Car

While less likely, a driver’s failure to properly maintain their car can be the cause of a car accident.  Car maintenance is important to ensuring that all cars on the road are safe.  When cars are not properly maintained, they can malfunction leading to a loss of driver control.  Of course, when a driver cannot properly control his or her car, disastrous car accidents can result. 

One of the most common car maintenance issues leading to car accidents is old or worn out tires.  The tires are the only part of the car that touches the road and thus have the biggest impact on stopping distances.  Worn tires, not to mention bald tires, have greater stopping distances and can be a leading factor in rear-end/fender bender accidents.  Moreover, worn or bald tires are more likely to “blow.”  When tires blow at high speeds, the driver can lose control leading to life-changing injuries and even death. 

Distracted Drivers and Texting

It’s no secret that distracted drivers have always been one of the leading causes of car accidents.  However, with the rise of smart phones and texting in our day-to-day life, distracted driving has never been a bigger issue when it comes to keeping our roads safe.  When a driver is more focused on sending out a text rather than what’s happening on the road, car accidents are the likely outcome. 

As with most things related to car accidents, proving that a driver was using his or her cell phone while driving is not as simple as it may seem.  Some distracted drivers may simply dispute that they were texting or were in anyway distracted, despite what anyone else might say.  A knowledgeable car accident lawyer can help prove that a driver was distracted and make sure the person injured obtains the compensation they deserve.

Alcohol and Drugs

Some of the most tragic car accidents are those caused by alcohol or drug impairment.  They’re not only tragic because injuries are more often severe or even deadly, but because they’re preventable.  No one should suffer an injury or die in a “drinking and driving” or “drunk driving” accident.  Unfortunately, alcohol and drug related car crashes continue to occur in our community. 

The car accident lawyers at GKT have represented numerous people injured in drunk driving accidents. Our car accident lawyers know the ins and outs of representing those injured in drunk driving car crash cases and hold those who cause them accountable.  GKT recently obtained a $1.5 Million Jury Verdict in a drunk driving case. 

GKT takes drunk driving, impaired driving, and drug related crashes very seriously.  That’s we started the Booze and Cruise, You’ll Lose program, where GKT lawyer Christian Turak travels to local high schools to talk about the dangers of mixing alcohol, drugs, and driving. 

Side Collision Car Accident Injuries

Car accident injuries run the gamut from light bruising to life-threatening brain injuries and even wrongful death.  Car accident injuries can affect any part of the body and can be permanent.  No matter how “minor” a person’s injury may seem, it is always a good idea to seek the help of an experienced car accident lawyer.  Since 1978, the car accident attorneys at GKT have represented clients in some of the more serious crashes in West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.  Below are some the injuries GKT’s car accident lawyers have handled in the past.

Wrongful Death

The most tragic of car accident injuries cause death.  Left behind are friends and family struggling to make sense of the tragic loss of life.  Then, the practical reality hits.  The person who passed as a result of in the car accident was the family’s bread winner and the sudden loss of income and support will be devastating.  When a person injured in a car accident dies as a result of injuries sustained in the crash, their family may be entitled to wrongful death compensation.  While nothing can replace the loss of a loved one, a successful wrongful death case will provide accountability, justice, and compensation for the tragic loss of life.  The unfortunate fact is that as long as there are car accidents, there will be loss of life.  When that happens, GKT’s car accident lawyers have the knowledge and experience to help families left heartbroken.    

Brain Injuries

While the brain is undoubtedly our most vital organ, the brain is unfortunately one of the more commonly injured organs in a car accident.  That is to say, traumatic brain injuries are not uncommon injuries suffered in car accidents.  Brain injuries run the gamut from minor concussions with no long-lasting harm to brain bleeds, brain swelling, and other brain injuries.  Brain injuries stemming from a car accident can take weeks, months, or even years to recover.  Unfortunately, some brain injuries never fully heal and can result in permanent disability, including memory loss, loss of senses, loss of speech, loss of mobility, and other cognitive issues.     

Broken Bones and Muscle Injuries

Common car accident injuries include broken bones and injury to muscle, tendons, ligaments, and other “soft tissue.”  While broken bones and muscle injuries are typically not life-threatening, that does not mean they should be treated lightly.  Broken bones can be extremely painful and result in temporary impairment or sometimes permanent impairment.  Similarly, torn ligaments and tendons can take years to fully heal and may never return to their previous condition.  Broken bones and muscle, ligament, and tendon injuries are some of the most complex car accident case injuries.  An experienced and skilled car accident lawyer, like those at GKT, know how to maximize the recovery of a person suffering from a broken bone or muscle, ligament, or tendon injury. 

Spine Injuries

Spine injuries are also a common car accident injury and are some of the most serious.  The spine plays a vital role for our body.  It’s the messenger between the brain and the rest of our body.  If the spine is injured, our brain cannot communicate with the rest of our body.  When spine injuries occur as a result of a car accident, the results can be tragic.  The fact is car accident spine injuries can be as “minor” as a sore back or as serious as permanent paralysis. 

Some of the more common spine injuries suffered in car accidents are bulging, herniated, or slipped discs.  A spinal disc is a rubbery-like structure that acts as a kind of shock absorber between the bony vertebrae of the spinal column.  When the disc is injured it can push out from its normal place and place pressure on nerves.  This pressure is what causes back, leg, and other pain associated with a herniated or slipped disc.  Spine disc injuries are common in whiplash injuries and can impact any section of the spine—cervical (neck), thoracic (upper back), lumbar (middle back), and sacral (lower back).    

Burns

Burn injuries are some of the less common injuries suffered in car accidents.  Many different flammable liquids, such as gasoline, may ignite during a car accident.  Combine that with the fact that people may be trapped in their car after a car accident, and it’s not difficult to see how burn injuries can occur.  While burns are relatively uncommon car accident injuries, burn injuries can be some of the most painful injuries suffered.  Car accident burns may be any degree, including a 1st degree burn (affecting the outer layer of skin), a 2nd degree burn (affecting the outer layer of skin and the skin dermis), a 3rd degree burn (destroying the outer layer of skin and the skin dermis), or a 4th degree burn (destroying all layers of skin, muscle, tendons, ligaments, and bone). 

What Will the Right Car Accident Lawyer Do for Me?

Listen and Learn

One of the first things a good car accident lawyer will do is listen and learn—learn about not only your car accident case and the facts surrounding the accident, but also take time to learn about you and your family.  At GKT, our experienced car accident lawyers know that clients aren’t just names and a case number, they’re people in need of help.  When a car accident lawyer knows his or her client, they can better fight for their client. 

Investigate

One of the first thing a car accident lawyer will want to do is investigate the car accident.  That means contacting potential witnesses to the car accident as well as obtaining the law enforcement accident report and other documentation.  Time is critical.  The right car accident lawyer will want to have a firm grip on the facts as soon as possible.

Preserve Evidence

A skilled car accident lawyer, but not all car accident lawyers, will make sure that evidence of the car accident is preserved.  Car accident lawyers typically do this by sending “letters to preserve.”  These simply tell the person or company in possession of key evidence (i.e. a totaled car) that there is a possible car accident claim and the evidence should not be disposed, altered, etc.

Negotiate

A good car accident lawyer handles the insurance companies so their clients don’t have to.  That means negotiating a possible settlement with any insurance companies involved in an effort to avoid having to file a lawsuit.  Many clients do not want to go to court, but sometimes it is necessary depending on the circumstances.  A reputable car accident lawyer will always keep their client informed of settlement negotiations and will not make any offers to settle without receiving authorization from their client.

File a Lawsuit

If a settlement cannot be reached with the insurance company, a car accident lawyer will file a lawsuit on behalf of their client in order to protect the claim.  The best car accident lawyers will already be well-versed in the facts by this point and have a strong grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of the client’s case. 

Litigate Vigorously

While many lawyers will file a lawsuit in the hope of an easy settlement, a knowledgeable and experienced car accident lawyer will have a firm grasp of what a car accident case is worth and will fight for the compensation their client deserves.  That is why it’s so important to choose a skilled and reputable car accident lawyer, like those at GKT. 

In the end, the best car accident lawyers will not just fight to obtain the compensation their clients are due—the best car accident lawyers will also ease the burden, stress, and anxiety of dealing with the aftermath of a car accident.  You can trust the car accident attorneys at GKT to help you through this situation and fight for the highest compensation you can obtain.  You should be focused on what’s most important – recovering from your injuries.   

When Should I Call a Car Accident Lawyer?

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you should contact a car accident lawyer as soon as possible to preserve evidence and protect your rights.  Time is critical. The sooner a car accident lawyer can get involved in your case, the better.  That’s because the best car accident lawyers will make sure that your car accident is immediately and thoroughly investigated to protect your rights.  In addition, the best car accident lawyers will, among other things, make sure you don’t make any statements to an insurance company that will negatively impact your case.  Moreover, the sooner you hire a car accident lawyer, the sooner you can relieve yourself of the stress and anxiety of dealing with insurance companies and focus on what’s most important—your physical well-being. 

About Gold Khourey & Turak Car Accident Lawyers

Gold, Khourey & Turak’s car accident lawyers are the lawyers people who have been injured trust to obtain the compensation due to them. Our car accident attorneys have represented countless injured people and their families and collected millions of dollars on their behalf.  

At GKT, our car accident clients aren’t just clients—they’re neighbors and friends.  Whether you’ve been injured in a car wreck in West Virginia, Ohio, or Pennsylvania, you can count on the car accident attorneys at GKT to provide you with the personal attention you deserve.   

Contact a GKT car accident lawyer today to schedule a free consultation! 

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