Side-impact car accidents, often called T-bones or broadside accidents, are some of the most serious accidents that can occur on the roads. These accidents occur when one vehicle hits another along the side, where there is much less protection for the driver and passengers in the vehicle that was struck. Because there is so little protection in this area, these accidents often cause serious injuries and are sometimes even fatal.
If you were injured in a side-impact car accident, you may be able to claim compensation for your injuries. In order to recover damages, it may be in your best interests to speak to a Chicago side-impact car accident lawyer for professional help with your case. Call today to schedule a consultation with a well-trained car wreck attorney.
Liability in Side-Impact Car Accidents
To claim compensation for a side-impact car accident, the injured party must prove that another driver was at fault for the accident. In legal terms, this is known as being negligent. When a person is negligent, they have failed to behave in a way that would keep others around them safe.
Drivers running red lights is one of the most common examples of negligence that can cause side-impact car accidents. However, there can be many different causes for such an accident—and accordingly, multiple parties at fault. For example, if the intersection where a T-bone accident occurred was not clearly marked or did not have proper traffic signals, the municipal entity responsible for maintaining it could be found negligent.
Determining negligence and liability in a side-impact car accident can be more difficult than it may seem at first. A side-impact car accident lawyer in Chicago could perform a thorough investigation and gather evidence to back up an accident victim’s claim.
Comparative Fault Law in Chicago
There may be some cases in which an accident victim is partly at fault for the accident. Even when they are not, the defendant in their case may try to place some of the blame on them in order to avoid paying compensation under the comparative fault law applicable to Chicago.
This law states that when an accident victim contributes to causing or exacerbating the incident through their own negligence, the amount of compensation they may ultimately receive can be reduced. Under comparative fault law, an injured person can still claim compensation for their injuries if they are less than 50 percent at fault for the accident, but any compensation they receive would be reduced by that same percentage of fault they bear. Accident victims who are more than 50 percent at fault cannot claim any compensation at all.
Defendants in a case often try to use the comparative fault rule to avoid paying compensation. However, a Chicago side-impact car accident attorney could work to prove those claims untrue and get the injured individual the full amount of compensation to which they may be entitled.
Speak to a Chicago Side-Impact Car Accident Attorney Today
Side-impact car accidents are serious and can cause severe injuries, but a skilled attorney could help you seek compensation that may help you deal with the financial burden of those injuries. However, evidence can disappear over time and eyewitnesses can begin to forget what actually happened. Most importantly, car accident victims in Chicago have only two years to file a lawsuit before it is thrown out of court, as established by Illinois’ statute of limitations for civil actions.
If you were injured in a side-impact car accident, get in touch with a Chicago side-impact car accident lawyer as soon as possible. An experienced attorney could fight for your rights in court and help you pursue a positive outcome to your case.