T-bone accidents are one of the most devastating types of car crashes. If you are fortunate enough to walk away from a T-bone accident, you may still face significant challenges, including life-altering injuries, a diminished capacity for work or physical labor, and mental anguish.
You can’t wind back the clock to undo the accident — but you can make decisions now to get the compensation you deserve for your injuries, pain, and suffering. Ali Awad of The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm specializes in helping people win settlements or jury awards to offset their medical costs and future expenses.
Known for his excellent track record and personalized service, Awad works on a contingency basis, meaning he does not get paid unless your claim is successful.
Awad serves clients in Atlanta and the surrounding metro area. If you’ve been in a T-bone accident, call (404) 777-8800 or contact us online to schedule a confidential, no-obligation consultation.
What to Look for in an Atlanta T-Bone Car Accident Attorney
Hiring an attorney is a significant decision in the likely success of your claim after a T-bone accident. Without their assistance, you may struggle to accurately estimate your damages, demonstrate fault to the satisfaction of insurers, or negotiate a settlement amount that ensures you won’t have unpaid-for expenses after signing. Therefore, you’ll want to carefully research and consider your options when selecting a legal professional to represent you on your injury claim.
As you meet attorneys, keep the following traits or qualifications in mind:
- Experience: Above all, it’s essential to find an attorney who is experienced in personal injury law. Having a law degree or practicing law in an unrelated field isn’t sufficient. Attorneys learn valuable lessons simply from representing various clients in different circumstances. With this in mind, it’s best to find a knowledgeable and seasoned attorney with a great track record. Don’t hesitate to ask about success rates, past cases, and the typical clientele that the attorney works with.
- Persistence: A great Atlanta personal injury attorney will keep fighting for you, even if challenges arise. They’ll be creative, strategic, and persistent in their approach. They’ll treat your case as a collaborative effort, and they’ll respect your wishes and concerns as they advocate for you.
- Communication: Communication is key when selecting an attorney. You shouldn’t work with a lawyer who takes days to return your calls or ignores your requests entirely. Instead, choose a professional who respects your time and patiently responds to your questions and concerns. Good communication is a basic courtesy that every client deserves.
- Testimonials: An experienced and talented attorney should be able to provide you with testimonials from past clients. Testimonials are valuable social proofs that demonstrate an attorney’s skill, dedication, and professionalism.
Common Injuries from T-Bone Collisions
T-bone collisions occur when one car hits another at a near-90-degree angle. The extreme angle concentrates the brunt of the force on the side of your vehicle, endangering everyone in the car.
At high speeds, T-bone collisions occur with crushing force. However, these collisions can be dangerous at any speed. Some common injuries from T-bone collisions include the following.
Broken Bones
The extreme force of a T-bone accident could leave you or your passengers with broken bones. You could break a bone as the other car hits you, or the break could happen if you’re thrown from your seat or hit by a loose object in the vehicle.
In addition to broken bones, you might sustain sprains, tears, or similar injuries. It can take weeks or months to recover from a broken bone, and you may need physical therapy or even surgery to fully regain use of the affected body part.
Internal Injuries
Internal injuries from car crashes can be devastating. One study found that nearly 130,000 people sustained internal (abdominal) injuries in crashes that occurred between 1993 and 1998.
Left- and right-side collisions accounted for one-third and one-fifth of these injuries, respectively. These injuries usually require immediate attention since internal bleeding can be fatal.
Further, damage to sensitive organs leads to a host of complications and risks. You could face life-long challenges after sustaining an internal injury, and multiple organs may be affected during a single collision.
Head & Neck Injuries
Accidents often cause harm to delicate body parts, including the head and the neck. Spinal compression, slipped discs, whiplash, and hyperextension are some examples of head and neck injuries that can have lasting consequences.
You may need extensive physical and psychological care to successfully heal. That said, head and neck injuries can permanently alter a person’s mental state and physical abilities.
Cuts, Scrapes, and Bruises
Modern cars are built to withstand a significant amount of force. However, another car barreling into you is bound to do some damage.
You may sustain lacerations, bruises, scrapes, or puncture wounds from flying glass, twisted metal, or loose objects in your vehicle. For large wounds, you’ll need urgent medical help to avoid profuse bleeding.
There is also a high risk of infection with wounds of any size.
Head Injuries
The human brain is surrounded by fluid. During impact, your body may stop accelerating before your brain stops.
This causes the brain to bounce or crash against your skull. This movement can severely damage the fragile tissue and sever the microscopic connections in the brain.
Brain injuries can have significant side effects, including headaches, memory loss, fatigue, confusion, mood changes, and even personality changes. The damage is often irreversible.
Steps to Take After a T-Bone Accident
After a collision, you’re bound to feel stunned, overwhelmed, or even panicked. If the accident caused serious injuries or fatalities, you might be suffering under the unrelenting weight of grief.
It is easier said than done, but regardless of your mindset in that moment, you’ll want to take the following steps to cover your bases:
- Get to safety: T-bone collisions often happen when someone fails to yield to a driver who has the right of way. Therefore, these crashes frequently occur in intersections, turn lanes, and other high-traffic areas. If possible, you should move your car out of harm’s way to avoid another collision. If you can’t move your car, move yourself to safety instead.
- Call the police: Even if you were involved in a minor collision with no apparent injuries, you should still contact law enforcement. They’ll come to the scene, document the events that occurred, take witness statements, and provide a report that you can share with your insurance company. Usually, you cannot file an insurance claim without a police report, so having an official report expedites the process and lends validity to your claim.
- Get medical attention: Without a doubt, getting medical attention should be your top priority if anyone is seriously injured. However, if you don’t have any obvious wounds, you should still visit with a medical professional. They’ll run tests or scans to ensure that you don’t have internal injuries. If anything questionable shows up, they can refer you to a specialist for further evaluation. Even if you don’t feel hurt after an accident, it’s wise to have a check-up. Some issues aren’t immediately detectable, and you don’t want to be caught off guard by health challenges and medical expenses in the future.
- Contact your insurance company: As soon as you can, contact your insurance company so that they can start processing your claim. Get your documentation, including police reports and medical evaluations, in order to avoid unnecessary back-and-forth communication. Generally, insurance companies have around 30-45 days to investigate your case. In Georgia, insurers must investigate and complete the claim process within 60 days.
- Contact a personal injury attorney: You should reach out to a personal injury attorney as soon as you can, especially if your insurance company is moving slowly or paying out an insufficient amount. An attorney can move the conversation along and help you determine the steps you should take to get compensation for your injuries, lost wages, and pain and suffering. They’ll do everything they can to expedite the process so that you aren’t stuck waiting for answers.
Contact an Atlanta T-Bone Car Accident Law Firm Today
If you’ve been T-boned by another driver, don’t delay pursuing the compensation you may deserve. Between medical bills and lost wages, your expenses can add up quickly after a car accident.
The at-fault party’s insurance company may offer you some form of compensation, but it won’t always be enough to cover your bills. A personal injury attorney can step in and advocate for you to get the amount that you need.
Ali Awad has won millions of dollars in jury awards and settlements for clients during his time in practice. He’s well-known online for his no-nonsense attitude, sound advice, and determination to do right by his clients.
Awad consults with each potential client to see what options may exist for claiming compensation. If you’re ready to speak with him about your case, call call (404) 777-8800 or contact us online today.