West Palm Beach Side-Impact Accidents
Side-impact accidents, also known as T-bone accidents, occur when the front of one vehicle strikes another vehicle on its side. These types of accidents are particularly dangerous to drivers and passengers because the side of a car does not offer the same protections as its front or back. When a negligent driver hits another motorist, leading to serious injuries, that driver should be held responsible for the victim’s costs in recovering. The West Palm Beach car accident lawyers at Donaldson & Weston offer experienced and compassionate legal guidance to victims harmed in side-impact collisions. Our firm is committed to ensuring that evidence is gathered and preserved so that victims can recover the compensation that they are entitled to receive from at-fault parties. If you have been hurt in a side-impact accidentthat you believe was caused by someone else, our attorneys can help you determine your next legal steps. Contact our office today to find out more about how we can help.
Establishing Responsibility for Side-Impact Accidents
Side-impact accidents can occur due to a variety of factors, such as excessive speeding, running red lights, distracted driving, or intoxicated driving. Often, a driver failing to yield the right of way to another driver in an intersection leads to a T-bone crash. According to the Palm Beach Post, the most accident-prone intersections in the city of West Palm Beach include the following:
The most dangerous intersection in the city is 45th Street and North Military Trail, with 80 accidents taking place there alone in 2014. These kinds of crashes can lead to permanent injuries, such as head and brain trauma, paralysis and other spinal cord injuries, and even fatalities.
Most car accidents occur as a result of a driver’s negligence or the negligence of multiple drivers. In personal injury cases, it falls on the victim, or plaintiff, to show that another individual, the defendant, caused their injuries. Negligence is established by showing that the defendant breached a duty of reasonable care and proximately caused the collision and the associated injuries. For example, a driver who tries to turn left in front of oncoming traffic without enough time to do so and strikes an approaching vehicle can be viewed as having taken an unreasonable and negligent action.
If more than one motorist acts negligently, damages are awarded in proportion to each party’s percentage of fault, pursuant to Florida’s pure comparative scheme of liability. Therefore, even if the injured individual is determined to be 50 percent at fault for causing a collision, another negligent party can be held responsible for half of the damages sustained. When fault is established, victims can recover compensation for medical expenses, both incurred and expected, as well as lost income, property loss, and loss of earning capacity. Non-economic damages like pain and suffering also may be recovered in many cases. Florida imposes a statute of limitations of four years from the date of the accident within which plaintiffs must bring a personal injury case, or else the claim is barred.
- Okeechobee Boulevard and Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard
- North Jog Road and Okeechobee Boulevard
- Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard and Spencer Drive/Village Boulevard
- Indian Road and Okeechobee Boulevard
The most dangerous intersection in the city is 45th Street and North Military Trail, with 80 accidents taking place there alone in 2014. These kinds of crashes can lead to permanent injuries, such as head and brain trauma, paralysis and other spinal cord injuries, and even fatalities.
Most car accidents occur as a result of a driver’s negligence or the negligence of multiple drivers. In personal injury cases, it falls on the victim, or plaintiff, to show that another individual, the defendant, caused their injuries. Negligence is established by showing that the defendant breached a duty of reasonable care and proximately caused the collision and the associated injuries. For example, a driver who tries to turn left in front of oncoming traffic without enough time to do so and strikes an approaching vehicle can be viewed as having taken an unreasonable and negligent action.
If more than one motorist acts negligently, damages are awarded in proportion to each party’s percentage of fault, pursuant to Florida’s pure comparative scheme of liability. Therefore, even if the injured individual is determined to be 50 percent at fault for causing a collision, another negligent party can be held responsible for half of the damages sustained. When fault is established, victims can recover compensation for medical expenses, both incurred and expected, as well as lost income, property loss, and loss of earning capacity. Non-economic damages like pain and suffering also may be recovered in many cases. Florida imposes a statute of limitations of four years from the date of the accident within which plaintiffs must bring a personal injury case, or else the claim is barred.
