BLOG

Car accidents are one of life most common mishaps. There are different types of car accidents. Of all these types, intersection or T-Bone accident is one of the most fatal. The severity of this accident is determined by factors such as the speed of the vehicles involved and the impact angle at which the accident took place. Identifying the causative factor of a T-bone accident is instrumental in determining liability. In order for accident attorneys to be able to properly determine the cause of the accident, and hence get adequate compensation, aids such as traffic cameras and black boxes will be highly instrumental.

Major causes of intersection accidents

Aggressive driving is estimated to be the cause of almost two-thirds of all traffic accident, and it is a major contributor to intersection or T-Bone accidents. According to drivers in the United States, listed below are the most common aggressive driving stunts;

• Following too closely
• Improper or erratic lane changing
• Prohibited and dangerous passing and merging
• Sudden and erratic speed changes
• Failure to yield right of way
• Failure to obey traffic control devices and signs
• Driving too fast and/or racing; and
• Making improper turns.

Speeding is a major cause of fatalities in crashes due to aggressive driving. The reason for this is simple; when an aggressive vehicle traveling at very high-speed slams into your vehicle, there is a transfer of a high amount of force from the speeding aggressive vehicle to yours. The greater this force, the higher the chance that you will sustain significant body injuries by way of your muscles and tendons absorbing the impact of the crash. This explains why intersection accidents are so fatal. Most times, drivers, in an attempt to beat a red light travel into an intersection at very high speed or they may just slam on the brakes, in an attempt not to enter the intersection. This then causes accidents behind them.

Legally, a driver is said to be guilty of aggressive careless driving if he/she commits two or more of the under listed acts;

• Exceeding the speed limit;
• Improper or unsafe lane changes;
• Following too closely;
• Failure to yield;
• Improper passing; and
• Violating traffic control devices and signs.

Aggressive careless driving is the leading cause of intersection accidents. An example of an aggressive driving is when a driver, in an attempt to beat the red light, drives through the yellow.

A well-qualified person injury lawyer will argue that the other driver was negligent, for the violation of the law.

Using evidence to determine causation

After an intersection accident, a personal injury lawyer in Orlando will look for clear ways to identify the cause of the accident without the use of forensic evaluation. Below is a checklist of evidence that a personal injury lawyer in Orlando will look to obtain;

• Police report;
• CC-TV footage from local businesses;
• Cell phone videos and photos of the scene;
• Witness statements;
• Vehicle maintenance records;
• Cell phone and social media records;
• Vehicle black-box records, and
• Blood alcohol and drug tests.

Although the likelihood of these forms of evidence being available is not certain, video from a local convenience or a dashboard camera may help to identify the cause of the accident. Eyewitness accounts are deemed to be undependable, hence there must be a documentary evidence that matches the eyewitness account for it to identify cause. Taking photographs and making a video of the accident scene and damage done to the vehicle is also quite important in determining the cost. Some of the things you should take photographs of include exact position of the vehicle following the accident, tread marks made by screeching tires, and any unusual mark left on the vehicle.

Comparative fault law

Intersection accidents usually involve more than one vehicles, and in some cases, both drivers are guilty of negligence. If however, you are the only one injured, faults will be determined by the law of the states. Orlando practices what is called a pure comparative fault.