Who Is at Fault in a T-Bone Car Accident in St. Petersburg?

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers | Car Accident

A T-bone car accident is when the front of one car hits the side of another. More often than not, these accidents result in major vehicular damage and severe injuries. That’s because, by nature, they always involve a head-on collision and a side-swipe, two of the most serious collisions.

Who is at fault if you get into a T-bone car accident while driving in St. Petersburg? Here’s what you need to know.

Who Broke the Law?

Typically, the driver who breaks the law is the one who bears responsibility for the accident. For example, if you T-bone someone at an intersection and it’s later determined that they ran a red light, they could be found at fault since they entered the intersection illegally while you were obeying the rules of the road.

Was Anyone Turning Left?

Left-hand turns are a common factor in many T-bone collisions. They typically come into play in one of two ways — either the driver entering the intersection collides with a vehicle making a left-hand turn, or the driver turning left collides with the side of another vehicle.

In either scenario, the vehicle that failed to yield the right-of-way will be assigned fault.

In normal situations, anyone turning left is required to yield to oncoming traffic. However, if the driver moving straight through the intersection runs a red light and collides with the side of a vehicle making a left turn, they could be held liable.

Yes, both parties in a T-bone collision can share fault. However, there are additional legal mechanisms in Florida that could complicate matters.

Florida is a no-fault state. This means that if you’re injured, you must first seek compensation from your own insurance company. As such, Florida drivers are required by law to hold personal injury protection (PIP) policies to cover any injuries they sustain in a collision. This applies no matter who caused the accident.

If the expenses generated by your injuries go beyond your policy’s coverage, you may need to seek compensation from the other driver. You would accomplish this by filing a claim against their insurance company or by initiating a personal injury lawsuit.

How Can You Recover Compensation?

A successful personal injury claim rests on proving that the other driver was at fault. In other words, you must be able to demonstrate that their negligence caused the collision.

Proving liability can be difficult, which is why experts recommend hiring a qualified personal injury attorney to represent you in court. An attorney will investigate your claim and determine whether there’s enough evidence to hold the opposing party accountable.

What To Do After a T-Bone Collision in St. Petersburg

A T-bone collision is serious business. Due to the nature of the accident, one or both parties could be seriously injured.

If you’re in a T-bone collision, it’s crucial to do the following:

Stay at the scene
Call 911
Seek medical attention, even if you don’t have visible injuries
Write down everything you remember about the accident
Collect as much photographic evidence as possible
Contact your insurance company
Seek out a qualified St. Petersburg car accident attorney

It’s important to remember to remain calm after a collision. Stressing out more than necessary won’t accomplish anything other than making you more frantic. As much as possible, it’s best to keep a cool head and follow the steps outlined above. Doing so will improve your chances of seeing a favorable conclusion both medically and legally.

Contact the Pinellas County Car Accident Lawyers at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers for Help

For more information, please contact the Clearwater and St. Petersburg car accident law firm of Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.

We serve in Pinellas County and its surrounding areas:

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers – Clearwater
1875 N Belcher Rd. STE 201,
Clearwater, FL 33765,
United States
Open 24 hours
(727) 796-8282

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Petersburg
2560 1st Ave S,
St. Petersburg, FL 33712,
United States
Open 24 hours
(727) 349-1728