About 40,000 people die every year in car accidents in the United States. Although serious injuries and fatalities can occur after nearly any type of car accident, side-impact car accidents (also known as “T-bone” accidents) are consistently the most dangerous of all multi-vehicle accidents after head-on crashes. This is particularly true when a passenger car is involved with a vehicle that is even marginally bigger, such as an SUV.

If you or a loved one were injured or killed in a side-impact car crash in Texas because of the negligence of another driver, meet with an experienced Texas personal injury attorney to learn about your legal options. 

Common T-Bone Car Crash Injuries

More than 25 percent of all car crash deaths result from side-impact collisions. Although cars are designed to have crush points that protect the driver upon impact, the force and direction of T-bone car crashes tend to crush the exterior of the impacted vehicle so severely that the driver and other passengers are seriously injured or killed, even on the opposite side of the car. 

Between 35,000 and 40,000 people die every year in the U.S. in car crashes, around 4,000 of which occur in Texas. But when approximately six million car crashes happen every year, it is clear that the vast majority of car crashes do not result in fatalities. Although serious injuries are common in Texas car crashes, what separates the accidents that result in fatalities from those that do not? And if someone you love has been killed in a car crash, what can you do to recover compensation from the responsible driver? 

How Do People Die in Car Crashes? 

Certain types of crashes are more likely to result in fatal injuries. Of course, when a vehicle is involved in a crash with a pedestrian, motorcyclist, or much smaller vehicle, the consequences for the smaller party can be disastrous. Accidents at high speed, accidents involving multiple vehicles, head-on accidents, and T-bone accidents also result in fatalities more often than other accidents. Even the most carefully designed cars cannot withstand the sudden, severe impact of crashes at high speeds involving other vehicles moving in the opposite direction. 

Injuries that can prove fatal to vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, and pedestrians include: 

Texas is an at-fault car accident state, which means that the person who caused a car accident is responsible for compensating someone who was injured in a car accident. This includes compensation for physical injuries and property damage, such as repairing or replacing a damaged car. 

But how is fault determined? What happens if another driver caused a car accident but tries to blame the accident on you? In cases like this, it is important to have an experienced Texas car crash attorney on your side who can help you understand how fault is proven in car accidents. 

Proving Fault in a Texas Car Crash

Even if both parties were partially responsible for causing the accident, one party is often at greater fault and carries the majority of the responsibility for the crash. There are many ways that fault can be proved in a car accident, and they all start with having strong evidence that tells the story of what happened. It is important to have an attorney with the resources and experience to conduct a thorough investigation of a crash and collect evidence proving which party was at fault. This includes: 

Paying for comprehensive car insurance coverage can be a real pain, especially when inflation is making daily life more expensive than ever and you and your family are looking for ways to save money any way you can. Many people figure they can get by with liability coverage and stake their bet on the statistical improbability that a car accident will happen to them, hoping that if another driver causes an accident that person’s insurance will cover any damages. 

Yet if there was ever an expense not to skip out on, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is it. Even though it is illegal, many drivers on Texas roads are driving with no car insurance whatsoever - research suggests more than one in 10 drivers are completely uninsured. Those who do have car insurance may not have coverage that is sufficient to compensate a victim of a serious car accident. If you get into a car accident and do not have enough car insurance coverage of your own to cover a driver with minimal or no car insurance, you could be setting yourself up for disaster. 

How Does Uninsured/Underinsured Vehicle Insurance Work? 

In most accidents when another driver is at fault, their insurance company pays for your vehicle repairs or replacement, compensates you for treatment for your injuries and lost wages, and you do not pay any expenses out of pocket - especially if you have a great personal injury attorney advocating for you. 

A car accident can have extreme and long-lasting effects on the lives of its victims. The forces involved when two or more cars collide can inflict catastrophic injuries on anyone involved. There is even a chance that your car accident injuries will even prevent you from returning to your job. No matter what line of work you are in, something as serious as a traumatic brain injury or paralysis can make it impossible to go back to business as usual. Or, if you do manual labor, almost any lasting injury can mean you will be unable to continue. Changing your line of work completely can be daunting, as well as impractical or impossible. Not everyone is able to do every job. The good news here is that you can be reimbursed for your lost wages and lost future earnings. An attorney can help fight for you to receive this important type of compensation. 

How Are Lost Future Earnings Calculated?

Rarely does anyone get hurt in a car crash and then turn to a higher-paid occupation after being taken out of their chosen profession by their injuries. You are probably already doing the highest-paid job that you are able to get. Rather, most people in this position will be either forced to take a lower-paid position or to drop out of the workforce altogether. 

What the court will need to calculate is the difference between what you would have reasonably made throughout the rest of your life in the job you had before the accident, and what you are reasonably likely to earn now, after the car accident. This could be zero, if you are no longer able to work at all.