Miami T-Bone Accident Lawyer

A driver enters an intersection on a green light. Another vehicle suddenly crosses the driver’s path and strikes the side of the car. There may be no time to brake, swerve, or prepare for the impact.

This is the basic anatomy of a T-bone collision, also known as a side-impact or broadside crash. These accidents can cause devastating injuries because the side of a passenger vehicle generally provides less space between an occupant and the point of impact than the front or rear of the vehicle.

At Sotolongo Law, we represent people injured in T-bone collisions in Miami and throughout South Florida. These cases frequently require more than determining which vehicle struck the other. The central question may be who had the right-of-way, which driver had the green light, whether someone made an unsafe left turn, or whether another act of negligence caused the vehicles to collide.

Miami T-bone accident lawyer Pedro P. Sotolongo brings more than 20 years of personal injury legal experience to these cases. Prior to representing injury victims exclusively, he spent five years practicing medical malpractice defense, developing an understanding of medicine that remains central to the way our firm prepares serious injury claims.

Every lawyer knows the law. Not every lawyer understands the medicine.

At our boutique firm, we combine that legal and medical knowledge with individual attention to our clients.

Because We Care®.

T-Bone Crashes at Miami Intersections

T-bone collisions frequently happen when the paths of two vehicles cross at an intersection.

Miami drivers encounter everything from major multi-lane intersections to neighborhood streets controlled by stop signs. Heavy traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, unfamiliar tourists, construction, and drivers trying to beat traffic signals can add to the risk.

Common causes of T-bone crashes in Miami include:

• Running a red light;
• Running a stop sign;
• Failing to yield the right-of-way;
• Making an unsafe left turn;
• Turning across approaching traffic;
• Speeding through an intersection;
• Distracted driving;
• Drunk or drug-impaired driving;
• Misjudging the speed of an approaching vehicle; and

Entering a roadway from a driveway or side street without yielding.

Sometimes the cause appears obvious. In other cases, both drivers insist they had the right-of-way.

That dispute can make evidence from the intersection extremely important.

Red-Light T-Bone Accidents

One of the most recognizable T-bone accident scenarios occurs when a driver enters an intersection against a red traffic signal.

Florida law generally requires traffic facing a steady red signal to stop before entering the intersection, subject to the rules governing permitted turns. Drivers facing a green signal may proceed but must still yield to vehicles and pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk.

When one driver runs a red light and crashes into another vehicle, establishing the signal sequence can become a central part of the case.

Unfortunately, the drivers may tell completely different stories.

One person says, “My light was green.”

The other says exactly the same thing.

When that happens, the case should not necessarily come down to one driver’s word against another’s. Independent evidence may help establish what happened.

Left-Turn T-Bone Collisions

Another common scenario involves a driver turning left across approaching traffic.

Florida law requires a driver intending to turn left within an intersection, or into an alley, private road, or driveway, to yield to approaching vehicles that are within the intersection or close enough to constitute an immediate hazard.

Consider a driver traveling straight through an intersection when an approaching vehicle suddenly turns left across the driver’s path. The resulting collision may send the front of the through vehicle directly into the side of the turning vehicle.

The turning driver may have misjudged the approaching vehicle’s distance or speed. The driver may have been distracted or simply attempted to squeeze through a gap that was not large enough.

But liability can still be disputed. The turning driver might claim the approaching vehicle was speeding or entered after the light changed.

That is why the circumstances leading up to the collision matter.

Establishing Who Had the Green Light

A disputed traffic signal is one of the issues that distinguishes intersection crashes from many other car accident cases.

Witnesses can be valuable, but additional evidence may exist.

Depending on the location and circumstances, an investigation can include:

• Traffic or intersection video;
• Surveillance footage from nearby businesses;

• Footage from residential security cameras;

• Dashcam recordings;
• Witness statements;
• Police observations;
• Vehicle event data;
• Photographs of the intersection;
• Traffic-signal information;
• Skid marks and debris;
• Vehicle damage; and
• Accident reconstruction.

A nearby gas station, restaurant, bank, apartment building, hotel, or other business may have a camera facing the roadway.

The problem is that video does not necessarily remain available indefinitely.

A system may automatically overwrite recordings. Witnesses may become difficult to find. Vehicles may be repaired or destroyed.

Early investigation can be particularly important when each driver claims the other ran the light.

Why Side-Impact Crashes Can Cause Serious Injuries

Vehicle occupants in a frontal crash generally have the engine compartment and other vehicle structures between themselves and the point of impact. In a side-impact collision, there may be much less distance separating an occupant from the striking vehicle.

A powerful impact to a driver’s door or passenger compartment can cause severe trauma.

Potential injuries include:

• Traumatic brain injuries;
• Concussions;
• Neck and back injuries;
• Spinal cord injuries;
• Herniated discs;
• Pelvic and hip injuries;
• Broken ribs;
• Shoulder and arm injuries;
• Leg fractures;
• Internal organ injuries;
• Chest injuries; and

Nerve damage.

The vehicle may also rotate, roll over, strike another vehicle, or collide with a pole, barrier, or other object after the initial impact.

As a result, the medical issues in a T-bone collision can become complicated quickly.

Understanding the Medical Evidence After a T-Bone Crash

Serious accident cases are ultimately about people, not damaged automobiles.

The photographs may show where the vehicles collided. Medical evidence helps explain what that collision did to the person inside.

Pedro P. Sotolongo’s five years practicing medical malpractice defense gave him experience working with doctors, medical records, diagnoses, treatment decisions, and expert testimony. That medical background now helps Sotolongo Law represent injured plaintiffs.

We look beyond a diagnosis listed on a piece of paper.

What structures were injured? What does the diagnostic imaging show? Has surgery been recommended? Will the person have permanent limitations? Can the client return to the same occupation? What treatment may be necessary in the future?

Those questions can be especially important in a severe side-impact crash involving orthopedic, neurological, spinal, or internal injuries.

Insurance companies have lawyers and adjusters analyzing medical claims. Injured people deserve an attorney who is prepared to understand the medicine as well.

Multiple Impacts and Secondary Collisions

A T-bone accident does not always end with the initial side impact.

The force of the collision may cause a vehicle to spin into another lane, roll over, strike a pedestrian, hit another automobile, or crash into a fixed object.

Those secondary impacts can complicate both the medical and legal investigation.

There may be several negligent drivers. For example, one vehicle may enter an intersection improperly and cause another motorist to lose control and collide with a third vehicle.

A complete investigation considers the entire sequence rather than looking only at the final positions of the vehicles.

Accident reconstruction may be useful in serious cases to analyze impact locations, vehicle movement, speeds, physical evidence, and the sequence of events.

Insurance Companies May Try to Shift Blame

Intersection crashes frequently produce arguments over comparative fault.

A driver who made an unsafe left turn may contend that the approaching vehicle was speeding. Someone accused of running a red light may allege that the other driver entered the intersection too soon or failed to take evasive action.

Under Florida’s current comparative fault law, fault attributed to an injured claimant can proportionally reduce recoverable damages, while a person found more than 50 percent responsible for his or her own harm generally cannot recover damages.

That rule gives insurers a financial reason to investigate whether responsibility can be shifted. An allegation of fault, however, is not proof.

Sotolongo Law can compare those arguments with witness testimony, video, physical evidence, vehicle data, medical evidence, and other information to determine what the evidence actually supports.

Compensation After a Miami T-Bone Crash

A serious T-bone collision can produce financial and personal consequences that last well beyond the day of the accident.

Depending on the facts and applicable law, an injured person may be able to seek compensation for losses including medical expenses, future medical care, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, disability, and other damages.

The future consequences deserve particular attention when an injury is severe.

A person with a spinal injury may require continuing treatment. Someone with a complicated fracture may need additional surgery. A traumatic brain injury can affect cognition, memory, employment, relationships, and independence.

Understanding those future effects can require input from treating physicians and other medical, vocational, or economic experts.

The goal should be to evaluate the full impact of an injury rather than treating the case as a collection of medical bills.

Fatal T-Bone Collisions

Side-impact crashes can also result in fatal injuries.

When negligence causes a death, Florida law may permit qualifying survivors and the estate to pursue a wrongful death claim. These cases involve different legal requirements and categories of damages from an ordinary personal injury action.

No legal case can undo the loss of a family member. A wrongful death claim can, however, provide a legal mechanism for holding responsible parties financially accountable for losses recognized under Florida law.

Our firm approaches these cases with the sensitivity they deserve.

A Boutique Miami Law Firm Prepared for Serious Cases

Sotolongo Law offers something that can be difficult to find at a high-volume injury practice: personal attention combined with substantial experience handling medically complicated claims.

Pedro P. Sotolongo has spent more than 20 years in personal injury law. His five years defending medical malpractice cases adds another dimension—the ability to understand and work with the medicine underlying an injury claim.

We bring that background to clients while maintaining the personal approach of a boutique firm.

Sotolongo Law also caters to Miami’s Spanish-speaking communities, including Cuban, Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, Argentinian, and other Latin American and Hispanic families. People dealing with serious injuries should be able to ask questions, understand their legal options, and communicate comfortably with their legal team.

Frequently Asked Questions About T-Bone Accidents in Miami

How can I prove the other driver ran a red light?

Evidence may include independent witnesses, dashcam footage, surveillance video from nearby properties, police observations, physical evidence, and information concerning the traffic signal. Because some video can be overwritten, investigating potential recordings promptly can be important.

Who has the right-of-way when a driver is turning left in Florida?

Florida law requires a driver turning left within an intersection, or into an alley, private road, or driveway, to yield to an approaching vehicle that is already within the intersection or close enough to constitute an immediate hazard. The precise facts still matter, including traffic signals and the conduct of both drivers.

What happens if both drivers say they had a green light?

The claim may require evidence beyond the statements of the drivers. Witness testimony, surveillance or dashcam video, physical evidence, vehicle data, and other information can help reconstruct what happened. A serious disputed-liability case may also involve an accident reconstruction expert.

Can both drivers share fault for a T-bone collision?

Yes. Florida law permits fault to be apportioned in negligence cases. For example, evidence might indicate that one driver made an improper turn while another was speeding. Any allocation of fault depends on the evidence, and Florida’s current comparative-fault statute can affect the amount a claimant is permitted to recover.

How long do I have to bring a T-bone accident lawsuit in Florida?

Florida’s current statute of limitations generally requires an action founded on negligence to be filed within two years. Other deadlines or procedural requirements can apply depending on the claim or defendant. Waiting is also risky because video, witnesses, vehicle evidence, and other important information may disappear well before the filing deadline.

Contact a Miami T-Bone Accident Lawyer at Sotolongo Law

If you were seriously injured in a T-bone collision, determining what happened at the intersection may be only the beginning. The case may also require preserving video, resolving conflicting accounts, dealing with multiple insurance companies, and developing medical evidence showing how the crash will affect your future.

Sotolongo Law brings more than 20 years of personal injury legal experience to that process. Pedro P. Sotolongo’s background in the courtroom and in medical malpractice defense gives our boutique firm a distinctive perspective on cases involving complicated injuries and medical evidence.

We provide personal attention to clients while preparing to stand up to major insurers and defendants when necessary.

Contact Sotolongo Law today for a free consultation with a Miami T-bone accident lawyer. You pay no attorney’s fees unless we make a recovery for you.

Because We Care®.