While front-end and rear-end accidents can certainly result in serious harm, the risk of these incidents is mitigated by the various safety features installed in modern vehicles. Unfortunately, crashes that involve one car hitting the side of another can be exceptionally dangerous in large part because those aforementioned safety features are not designed with impacts like that in mind.
If a side-impact car accident in Houston recently left you dealing with physical, financial, and/or personal losses, a knowledgeable auto collision lawyer’s assistance could be vital to preserving your long-term prospects. These types of wrecks can make for uniquely complicated civil litigation, and guidance from experienced legal counsel at Roberts Markland LLP could make all the difference in securing the compensation you need to recover.
Side-impact collisions are especially common at intersections, often due to one person advancing without stopping at a red light or stop sign, or speeding while approaching and being unable to stop in time to avoid a crash. However, they can also occur in other ways—for instance, merging recklessly on or off of a highway, or not paying attention while traveling through a parking lot. Intoxication from drugs or alcohol dramatically increases the risk of side-impact car crashes happening in Houston under any circumstances, as does distracted driving and particularly texting behind the wheel.
Whatever careless or reckless act specifically causes a wreck to happen, any ensuing civil claim would be built around establishing that irresponsible act as legal “negligence.” In practice, this means proving that the named defendant’s actions constituted a violation of the duty every driver has to obey the law and act reasonably around others, and that said violation was the direct and primary cause of a collision which, in turn, directly caused the losses the injured plaintiff is seeking restitution for. Support from a seasoned car crash attorney can be crucial throughout every stage of building and pursuing a case of this nature.
Even if someone suffers severe and life-altering injuries from being T-boned, they only have a limited amount of time after actually being hurt to start pursuing civil compensation. Under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §16.003, the longest most prospective plaintiffs have to file suit is two years after the accident occurs.
Furthermore, TX Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §33.001 bars anyone found primarily to blame for their own injuries in a Houston T-bone car crash from recovering any compensation for their damages. For instance, if a plaintiff was the one who entered an intersection unlawfully and was struck by another driver acting lawfully. Lesser percentages of fault assigned to an injured plaintiff may result in a proportional reduction in their final damage award, as per TX Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §33.012.
Side-impact auto wrecks cause more deaths each year than head-on or rear-end wrecks, and they tend to result in serious injuries more often even when they are not fatal. Recovering comprehensively for harm you sustained because someone else T-boned you might be your best means of protecting your interests both now and for long into the future.
Achieving a positive case result following a side-impact car accident in Houston could be much easier with assistance from a legal professional who has handled similar cases before. Call Roberts Markland LLP today to learn more.
