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Rear-End and T-Bone Collisions: Fault, Injuries and Evidence
Rear-end and T-bone collisions come up again and again in injury claims. The label describes how the vehicles met, but it does not decide who was at fault. A car accident lawyer reviewing one of these crashes will usually start with the sequence of events, from each car's speed to the signals that controlled traffic.
What causes rear-end collisions
Many state traffic codes prohibit following another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, with attention to the speed of traffic and the condition of the road. Distraction is a frequent factor. NHTSA explains that sending or reading a text takes a driver's eyes off the road for 5 seconds, which at 55 mph is like driving the length of a football field with eyes closed. An auto accident attorney may ask for the other driver's phone records when distraction is suspected.
The trailing driver is often found at fault in a rear-end crash, yet that result is not automatic. A car that cuts in and brakes suddenly, brake lights that do not work or a vehicle backing up may shift part or all of the fault. In a multi-vehicle pileup, every impact is its own event, and a middle car pushed into the car ahead may not be at fault for that second impact.
Neck injuries after a rear-end crash
Rear-end impacts are often associated with whiplash, a neck injury caused by a rapid back-and-forth movement of the head. Neck pain and headaches may not show up until hours after the crash, which is one reason prompt medical care matters. Insurers sometimes dispute injury claims from low-speed rear-end crashes, citing minor vehicle damage. Photos of both cars and the medical records help respond to that argument, along with imaging such as an MRI when a doctor orders one.
Why side-impact crashes happen
In a T-bone crash, the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another, usually at an intersection. Common causes include running a red light or a stop sign and failing to yield on a left turn. The sides of a car have less room to absorb crash forces than the front or rear, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluates side protection in its own side-impact crash test. Occupants on the struck side can suffer serious injuries, including traumatic brain injury and pelvic fractures.
These crashes often turn on who had the right of way. Evidence can include signal timing records, intersection camera video, nearby business surveillance footage, dashcam video and witness statements, plus the event data recorder (EDR) in each car, which may hold speed and braking data from the seconds before the crash. An auto accident attorney typically moves quickly to collect video, because many systems record over old footage within days or weeks.
Shared fault and comparative negligence
Fault is often shared. Most states apply some form of comparative negligence, which reduces a recovery by the injured person's percentage of fault. Under modified comparative negligence, a person found at least 50 or 51 percent at fault, depending on the state, may recover nothing, while pure comparative negligence allows a reduced recovery at any percentage of fault. A https://jeffreylnua835.lucialpiazzale.com/who-can-be-held-responsible-for-an-auto-accident small number of jurisdictions still follow contributory negligence, which can bar recovery for even slight fault. An automobile accident lawyer can explain which rule applies where the crash happened.
Deadlines and general information
Each state sets its own statute of limitations for injury claims, and claims involving a government vehicle or agency can require written notice much sooner. This article is general information, not legal advice, and no article can predict how a claim will turn out.