T-Bone Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Los Angeles
Getting T-boned while riding a motorcycle can be devastating. The car hits from the side and flings the rider and the bike away. The motorcyclist is lucky to get away with a broken leg. If you or someone you know has a similar story, Los Angeles T-bone motorcycle accident attorneys can help.
What Is a T-Bone Accident?
A “T-bone” collision is where one vehicle collides head-on with the broad side of another. The two vehicles form a “T” at the moment of impact. It is also sometimes known as a side-collision. These collisions most often occur at intersections, with one car hit from the side while crossing. A broadside T-bone is potentially among the most serious accidents. The rider can be seriously injured and the bike badly damaged.
Almost all of the kinetic impact goes into the vehicle struck side-on. This can result in one leg being caught in the impact between the car and the motorcycle. What happens next depends on the speed of the oncoming car and the driver’s reflexes in hitting the brakes. The motorcyclist may slam against the hood of the car before bouncing off. Alternatively, the motorcycle and the rider may be flung away from the car.
How Common Are Sideways Motorcycle Collisions?
California has the most motorcycles of any state. While motorcycles account for only 3 percent of road traffic accidents, 15 percent of road fatalities involve a motorcycle. In any collision between a bike and a car, it is the bike and its rider who come off worse. Roughly 1 in 6 fatalities on California’s roads are motorcyclists. Luckily, experienced motorcycle accident lawyers are there to help following an accident.
What Are The Common Injuries in a Broadside Motorcycle Accident?
A T-bone collision can result in any or all the following typical injuries:
- Broken leg (usually the leg nearest the collision, taking direct impact from the oncoming car)
- Bruises (from striking the hood of the car or bouncing off the road)
- Bone fractures (from secondary impacts with the car, bike, and road)
- Lacerations (friction injuries from skidding along the road after the collision)
- Concussion (from the head striking the road upon landing)
- Whiplash (neck injuries from the impact)
- Lasting spinal, neck, and hip injuries
- Brain damage
- Emotional trauma, flashbacks, and post-traumatic stress disorder
Any of these injuries can put you out of work for weeks or months. Lost earnings and medical bills can mount up rapidly. Motorcycle side-collision lawyers in Los Angeles can help you seek compensation. The law firm may also have a specialist head-injury lawyer or spinal cord injury attorney.
Compensation for Motorcycle Sideway Crash Injuries
A motorcycle side-collision lawyer in Los Angeles can help you get compensation to cover medical bills, repair costs, and lost earnings. Who is at fault in a motorcycle side-collision makes a big difference in your compensation. It is commonly held that no accident is entirely one party’s doing. In a side-on collision, however, it is usually the driver of the car who is most at fault.
California law applies a percentage of blame to each party in an accident, based on comparative negligence. A head-on motorcycle accident attorney can help with this process by looking over the evidence from the crash. Assigning full blame to one party requires showing serious negligence. A good indicator of full culpability is if the car fails to stop at the scene. California law requires all parties to a traffic accident to stop and give assistance. Making away from the scene strongly implies guilt and culpability.
Who Is At Fault in a Motorcycle Side-Collision?
A broadside motorcycle accident attorney will help gather evidence that the motorcyclist was not negligent. The actual compensation money comes from the insurance policies of both parties, based on the assessment of fault.
Vehicle insurance is compulsory in California. It is in theory possible to get 50/50 restitution for no-fault mutual accidents. At the other extreme, a drunk driver running light may wind up paying 100 percent of the damages. Most cases fall somewhere between the two.
In some cases, where criminal negligence applies, the compensation may include punitive damages for pain and trauma. In the worst-case scenario, when the crash leads to the loss of a loved one, a T-bone motorcycle accident attorney can help their relatives instead. In happier cases, a motorcycle collision attorney can get you back on the road. Repairs to the bike can be covered alongside medical bills and other costs.
Get Help from an Experienced Los Angeles T-Bone Motorcycle Collision Attorneys
If you have been in a collision, T-bone motorcycle accident lawyers can help. California laws covering fault and compensation are complex and nuanced. You will need motorcycle side-collision attorneys to help you get fair compensation. A traffic accident is traumatic enough without having to suffer undue financial consequences as well. Get Los Angeles T-bone motorcycle accident attorneys on the case today.