T-Bone Accident

Let an Indianapolis T-Bone Accident Lawyer Fights for You

We Know What It Takes to Win Compensation in Negligent Truck Accident Cases

A T-bone accident is when one motor vehicle drives into the side of the other one. These accidents occur frequently at intersections when vehicles fail to stop or yield the right of way. When one vehicle is a large commercial truck and the other one is a passenger car, serious injuries and fatalities are likely. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website, 25 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes with a large truck were in vehicles that were side-struck by the truck.

If you were injured or lost a family member in a T-bone accident with a truck, you may be entitled to compensation if negligence played a part in the crash. An Indianapolis T-bone accident lawyer from Stephenson Rife can assess your case and advise you about your legal options.

The Ins and Outs of T-Bone Accidents

Being T-boned by a multi-ton commercial truck is a terrifying and confusing experience. You probably have numerous questions about your rights and who will pay for your injuries. But the number one question many people ask is:

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Truck T-Bone Accident?

The truck driver may be liable for negligent driving. The trucking company that employs the driver may be liable if they did not properly train the driver or if the truck was poorly maintained. Other drivers on the road who may have contributed to causing the crash may also be at fault.

If a traffic signal malfunctioned, a stop sign was hidden by trees or shrubbery, or there were roadway hazards, the agency responsible for maintaining roads could be held liable. If the brakes or other parts or equipment on the truck failed, parts manufacturers could also be responsible. We will work to hold every party who contributed to your accident accountable.

What Should I Do After a T-Bone Accident to Help My Claim?

You should get emergency treatment or visit your doctor right away, depending on the situation. Most importantly, this is for your own well-being. Medical reports and records will also be central to your injury claim. If there are any eyewitnesses to the accident, get their contact information if you are able. Photographs of your injuries, your vehicle, and the accident scene are also helpful. After ensuring other involved parties are okay, you should limit your discussions with them to exchanging contact, driver’s license, and insurance information. Do not admit any fault at the scene, even if you believe you may have contributed to the crash. Contact one of our T-bone accident attorneys as soon as possible.

Making a T-Bone Accident Claim

When you’re faced with the process of making a claim, a number of questions may cross your mind. Below, we answer some of the most common questions we get asked about T-bone accident claims.

Can I Sue If My Family Member Died in a Commercial Truck T-Bone Accident?

If the family member who died was an adult, then the personal representative of the deceased can file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the estate and eligible survivors. Parents must file the claim if the decedent was a child (under Indiana wrongful death law, a child is defined as someone unmarried with no dependents and under 20 years old or under 23 years old and in college or technical school or a viable fetus). Damages in these claims may include medical, funeral, and burial costs, loss of love and companionship, loss of support and services, and other things.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a T-Bone Accident?

In general, the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit for personal injury in Indiana is two years from the date of the accident. For wrongful death, it is two years from the date of death. In many cases, if you miss this time limit, you cannot file. There are some exceptions to this deadline, so you should always speak directly with an attorney to get specific deadlines for your case.

Can I Still Sue for Damages if I Was Partially at Fault in a T-Bone Accident?

The possibility of pursuing a personal injury lawsuit and seeking compensation for your injuries in Indiana depend on your level of involvement in the accident. Indiana employs a comparative fault system to allocate fault, which means you can file a personal injury lawsuit if you are less than 51 percent responsible for the collision.

Why You Should Choose a T-Bone Accident Lawyer From Stephenson Rife

We Have Won Hundreds of Millions for Victims of Commercial Truck Crashes

Since 1976, the attorneys at our law firm have stood up for the rights of innocent people injured in trucking accidents. Our attorneys have decades of combined experience in vehicle accident claims. Our dedication to helping clients hold at-fault parties accountable is exemplified in the numerous multimillion-dollar settlements and awards we have achieved over the years.

When you choose one of our T-bone accident lawyers to represent your claim, you can rest assured that we know what is necessary to win and will fight hard for your interests. We have too often seen the physical, emotional, and financial devastation these serious accidents cause people and the effects on their families. While we cannot fix injuries or change what has happened, we can make the future brighter by reducing financial stress through a legal claim.

How Our T-Bone Accident Attorneys Work for You

Our T-bone accident attorneys are highly skilled in handling commercial truck accident cases. We will work for you by:

• Investigating the crash, including reviewing the accident scene, speaking with witnesses and first responders, and examining the backgrounds of the truck driver and the trucking company.
• Identifying evidence such as medical reports, police reports, videos and photographs, and data from the truck’s black box.
• Working to establish liability against at-fault parties, including the driver, the company that employs them, and possibly other parties.
• Pursuing fair compensation from liable parties and their insurance companies. If a fair offer is not forthcoming, we will advise you about the potential for taking your case to trial to be decided by a jury.

There are many complex steps in T-bone accident claims. We will guide you throughout the process to win you maximum compensation for your damages. We are professional but aggressive in pursuing justice against opposing parties for people injured due to negligence. We are compassionate and understanding in helping clients get the recoveries they need to recuperate from injuries and move on with their lives.  The Indianapolis T-bone accident lawyers at Stephenson Rife are on your side.

How Do You Prove Negligence in a T-Bone Accident?

To prove negligence, we must show that the truck driver and other parties to the accident breached their duty of care not to cause harm, which directly led to the accident and your injuries, and you experienced damages as a result. We will investigate and gather all of the evidence to identify liable parties and build a case against them that could include witness testimony, the use of accident reconstruction professionals and other experts, black box data, driver records, and other information.

Damages in T-Bone Truck Accident Claims

You are entitled to compensation when your life has been turned upside down because of another party’s negligence. Depending on your circumstances, you could claim compensation for both the economic damages you’ve experienced and for noneconomic damages. Noneconomic damages are losses that are not as easily quantifiable as the medical bills you face. For example, the accident has seriously impacted your mental and emotional health and well-being. Here are the types of damages available in T-bone accident cases.

Economic Damages

Economic damages may include payment for:

• Emergency medical treatment, surgery, doctor visits, rehabilitation, therapy, prescription drugs, and assistive equipment
• Transportation to medical appointments
• Nursing care and/or help with the basic tasks of daily life, such as eating and dressing
• Household help
• Lost wages and benefits for time missed at work during recuperation
• Loss of earning capacity if you can no longer work or you can’t work at the same level
• Property damage.

Noneconomic Damages

Noneconomic damages can include compensation for:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Scarring, burns, and disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Disability.

Our T-bone accident lawyer in Indianapolis will carefully examine how the accident and your injuries affect you now and in the future to help you determine the full value of damages to ask for in your claim.

Contact Our Indianapolis T-Bone Truck Accident Lawyers for Strong and Effective Legal Representation

We are here to help you understand your rights when you believe you were the victim of an accident due to negligence. When we meet with you, we will listen carefully to learn what happened, ask you follow-up questions about the accident, and, gathering all the information we can, advise you whether you may have a claim for negligence against the commercial truck driver and potentially other parties. If you do and we handle your case, our T-bone accident lawyers from Stephenson Rife will fight determinedly for your interests.

Attorney Brady Rife

Attorney Brady Rife has developed a diverse civil litigation practice for plaintiffs throughout Indiana. Brady is heavily involved in serious personal injury matters, complex business and commercial disputes, and insurance litigation in state and federal courts. Some of the firm’s most successful cases include winning a $48 million settlement against a large corporation in a fatal vehicle crash in New Mexico and a $14 million dollar settlement against a national trucking company in Illinois. The firm handles cases across the United States. [ Attorney Bio ]