Indianapolis T-bone Accident Lawyer

Indianapolis T-Bone Accident Lawyer Fights for You

We Know What It Takes to Win Compensation in Negligent Truck Accident Cases

A T-bone accident is when one motor vehicle drives into the side of the other one. These types of accidents can occur frequently at intersections when vehicles fail to stop or fail to yield the right of way. When one vehicle is a large commercial truck and the other one is a passenger car, serious injuries and fatalities are likely. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website, 25 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes with a large truck were in vehicles that were side-struck by the truck.

If you were injured or lost a family member in a T-bone accident with a truck, you may be entitled to compensation if negligence played a part in the crash. An Indianapolis T-bone accident lawyer from Stephenson Rife, LLP, can assess your case and advise you about your legal options.

Why You Should Choose A T-Bone Accident Lawyer from Stephenson Rife

We Have Won Hundreds of Millions for Victims of Commercial Truck Crashes

Since 1976, the attorneys at our law firm have stood up for the rights of innocent people injured in trucking accidents. Our attorneys have decades of combined experience in vehicle accident claims. Our strong dedication to helping clients hold at-fault parties accountable is exemplified in the numerous multi-million-dollar settlements and awards we have achieved over the years.

When you choose one of our T-bone accident lawyers to represent your claim, you can be assured that we have the knowledge necessary to win and that we will fight hard for your interests. We have too often seen the physical, emotional, and financial devastation these serious accidents cause people and the effects on their families. While we cannot fix injuries or change what has happened, we can make the future a bit brighter by reducing financial stress through a legal claim.

How Our T-Bone Accident Attorneys Work for You

Our T-bone accident attorneys are highly skilled in handling accident cases involving commercial trucks. We will work for you by:

• Investigating the crash including reviewing the accident scene, speaking with witnesses and first responders, and examining the backgrounds of the truck driver and the trucking company.
• Identifying evidence such as medical reports, the police report, videos and photographs, and data from the truck’s black box.
• Working to establish liability against at-fault parties, which could include the driver, the company that employs them, and possibly other parties.
• Pursuing fair compensation from liable parties and their insurance companies. If a fair offer is not forthcoming, we will advise you about the potential for taking your case to trial to be decided by a jury.

There are many complex steps in T-bone accident claims. We will guide you throughout the process with the ultimate goal of winning you maximum compensation for your damages. We are professional, but aggressive, in pursuing justice against opposing parties for people injured due to negligence. We are compassionate and understanding in helping clients get the recoveries they need to recuperate from injuries and move on with their lives.  The Indianapolis T-bone accident lawyers at Stephenson Rife are on your side.

Damages in T-Bone Truck Accident Claims

When your life has been turned upside down because of another party’s negligence, you are entitled to be compensated. Depending on your circumstances, you could claim compensation for both the economic damages you’ve experienced and also for noneconomic damages. Noneconomic damages are losses that are not as easily quantifiable as the medical bills you are facing, for example, but have seriously impacted your mental and emotional health and well-being. Here are the types of damages available in T-bone accident cases.

Economic Damages

Economic damages may include payment for:

• Emergency medical treatment, surgery, doctor visits, rehabilitation, therapy, prescription drugs, and assistive equipment
• Transportation to medical appointments
• Nursing care and/or help with the basic tasks of daily life such as eating and dressing
• Household help
• Lost wages and benefits for time missed at work during recuperation
• Loss of earning capacity if you can no longer work or you can’t work at the same level
• Property damage.

Noneconomic Damages

Noneconomic damages can include compensation for:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Scarring, burns, and disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Disability.

Our T-bone accident lawyer in Indianapolis will carefully examine how the accident and your injuries affect you now and, in the future, to help you determine the full value of damages to ask for in your claim.

Indianapolis T-Bone Accident Lawyer Answers FAQs

Being T-boned by a multi-ton commercial truck is a terrifying and confusing experience. You probably have numerous questions about your rights and who will pay for your injuries. Here are answers to common questions we receive:

How Much Money Can I Get for My T-Bone Accident?

How much money you could potentially get is based on several factors. Factors include the severity of your injuries, the amount of your damages, the insurance coverage available, the number of parties named in your claim, and the strength of the evidence alleging negligence.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Truck T-Bone Accident?

The truck driver may be liable for negligent driving. The trucking company that employs the driver may be liable if they did not properly train the driver or if the truck was poorly maintained. Other drivers on the road who may have contributed to causing the crash may also be at fault.

If a traffic signal malfunctioned, a stop sign was hidden by trees or shrubbery, or there were roadway hazards, the agency responsible for maintaining roads could be held liable. If the brakes or other parts or equipment on the truck failed, parts manufacturers could also be responsible. We will work to hold every party who contributed to your accident accountable.

How Do You Prove Negligence in a T-Bone Accident?

To prove negligence, we must show that the truck driver and other parties to the accident breached their duty of care not to cause harm, which directly led to the accident and your injuries, and you experienced damages as a result. We will investigate and gather all of the evidence to identify liable parties and build a case against them that could include witness testimony, the use of accident reconstruction professionals and other experts, black box data, driver records, and other information.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a T-Bone Accident Lawyer?

Our attorneys work on contingency, which means we only get paid when we win you compensation. Our fees are based on a percentage of the settlement or jury award in your case. If for some unusual reason, we are unable to get you compensation, you will not owe us anything. We also offer a free initial consultation so that we can assess the strength of your case with no obligation to you.

Can I Sue If My Family Member Died in a Commercial Truck T-Bone Accident?

If the family member who died was an adult, then the personal representative of the deceased can file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the estate and eligible survivors. Parents must file the claim if the decedent was a child (under Indiana wrongful death law a child is defined as someone who is unmarried with no dependents and under 20 years old or under 23 years old and in college or technical school, or a viable fetus). Damages in these claims may include medical, funeral and burial costs, loss of love and companionship, loss of support and services, and other things.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a T-Bone Accident?

In general, the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit for personal injury in Indiana is two years from the date of the accident. For wrongful death, it is two years from the date of death. In many cases, if you miss this time limit, you will not be able to file. There are some exceptions to this deadline, so you should always speak directly with an attorney to get specific deadlines for your case.

For answers specific to your case, reach out directly to our Indianapolis T-bone accident lawyers. We want to help you understand your rights when you have suffered injuries or lost a loved one due to a trucking accident.

How Do T-Bone Crashes in Indiana Happen?

T-bone crashes can happen in a variety of ways. Here are some of them:

• Truck driver fatigue
• Poor training of truck drivers by trucking companies
• Driving under the influence
• Distracted driving
• Speeding or aggressive driving
• Brake malfunctions or other truck equipment failures
• Poorly designed intersections that lack stop lights or stop signs
• Broken or obscured stop lights or stop signs
• Inattention to commercial trucking safety regulations
• Rain or other poor weather conditions that makes it difficult for large trucks to stop or impedes visibility.

However your accident happened, we will investigate all of the evidence. If the evidence shows that another party caused the accident that injured you due to their negligence, our hardworking T-bone accident lawyers will not back down in standing up for your right to compensation.

What Should I Do after A T-Bone Accident to Help My Claim?

You should, of course, get emergency treatment or visit your doctor right away, depending on the situation. Most importantly this is for your own well-being. Medical reports and records will also be central to your injury claim. If there are any eyewitnesses to the accident, get their contact information if you are able. Photographs of your injuries, your vehicle, and the accident scene are also helpful. After being sure other involved parties are okay, you should limit your discussions with them to exchanging contact, driver’s license, and insurance information. Do not admit any fault at the scene, even if you believe you may have contributed to the crash. Get in touch with one of our T-bone accident attorneys as soon as possible.

Contact Our T-Bone Accident Lawyers for Strong and Effective Legal Representation

We are here to help you understand your rights when you believe you were the victim of an accident due to negligence. When we meet with you, we will listen carefully to learn what happened, ask you follow-up questions about the accident, and after gathering all the information we can, advise you whether you may have a claim for negligence against the commercial truck driver and potentially other parties. If you do and we handle your case, our T-bone accident lawyers from Stephenson Rife, LLP, will fight determinedly for your interests.

Attorney Brady Rife

Attorney Brady Rife has developed a diverse civil litigation practice for plaintiffs throughout Indiana. Brady is heavily involved in serious personal injury matters, complex business and commercial disputes, and insurance litigation in state and federal courts. Some of the firm’s most successful cases include winning a $48 million settlement against a large corporation in a fatal vehicle crash in New Mexico and a $14 million dollar settlement against a national trucking company in Illinois. The firm handles cases across the United States. [ Attorney Bio ]