If you have suffered losses following a side-impact car accident in Blair County, you may be entitled to the compensation needed to cover your losses. However, merely being injured in a collision is not enough to convince an insurance company or court that you deserve payment. Injured people can only collect monetary damages if they can prove that another person is liable for the losses.
If this is your current situation, a seasoned car crash attorney could help pursue your claim for comprehensive financial recovery. They could work with you to reconstruct the accident, prove that another party was negligent, and help collect the payments needed to set things right.
A side-impact accident describes any collision where a victim’s car suffers an impact on the side panel. Naturally, the most obvious example is a scenario where a defendant T-bones a plaintiff’s car, coming into contact on the side. However, other common examples include:
In all these examples, the point of impact does not determine if a defendant is at fault. Pennsylvania law requires an examination of the actions of both parties to determine blame. A Blair County auto collision lawyer could explain the frequent causes of side-impact incidents and why another driver may be to blame. The burden is on the plaintiff to prove that the defendant was at-fault for causing the crash.
Because most side-impact car crashes are the result of accidents, an injured plaintiff must prove that a defendant was negligent. A defendant is negligent when he or she has a legal duty to provide protection to another party, and by failing in that duty, he or she causes the plaintiff to suffer an injury.
As applied to motor vehicle wrecks, every driver owes a duty of protection to all other people on the road. If a defendant violates this duty by making an improper lane change, by speeding, or by driving while distracted, he or she is likely negligent.
Even so, a negligence analysis requires an examination of the actions of all involved parties. Courts in Blair County must use the concept of modified comparative negligence to assign blame following an incident. Under 42 P.S. § 7102, this means that a court will reduce a plaintiff’s award at trial if the jury believes that the plaintiff contributed to the incident. If a court believes that a victim was more than 50% to blame, it cannot award any monetary damages.
As a result, it is crucial to be able to not only prove that a defendant’s negligence caused a sideswipe accident but also that a plaintiff’s own driving did not contribute to the incident in any way. A Blair County T-Bone crash lawyer could prove a plaintiff had no fault for the accident leading to their injuries.
Side-impact car accidents in Blair County can lead to life-changing injuries. It is not uncommon for victims to suffer broken bones, separated joints, and traumatic brain injuries that may never fully heal. Any compensation package from a negligent defendant’s insurance company should reflect the impact an accident has on a person’s finances, physical health, and emotional well-being.
A dedicated lawyer could help you fight for fair compensation following a T-bone collision. Call Marcus & Mack today to set yourself up for success and protect your future interests.
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