Boca Raton T-Bone and Intersection Accident Lawyer

Hit by a driver in Boca Raton who ran a red light, rolled through a stop sign or turned left in front of you? That is a T-bone crash, also called a side-impact or broadside collision, and it happens every day at the city’s busy intersections. Only a door separates the striking car from the people inside, so injuries are often serious. In Florida, the driver who failed to yield the right of way is usually at fault, but insurance companies often dispute who had the light.

Time matters. The other driver’s insurer starts building its case right away, and the evidence that proves who had the right of way, such as video, witness accounts and vehicle data, can disappear within days. Don’t wait or try to handle it alone. Let Boca Raton car accident lawyer David B. Datny help you. He personally handles every case, and you will have direct access to him and the entire team.

Why T-Bone Crashes Cause Serious Injuries

The side of a car has far less crush space than the front or back, so even with side airbags much of the force of the impact reaches the people inside. Common T-bone injuries include:

• Head injuries, including concussions and traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Neck and back injuries, including herniated and bulging discs
• Shoulder tears, often requiring arthroscopic surgery
• Broken ribs, pelvis and hips
• Internal injuries

These injuries often get worse over the following weeks. Treatment commonly moves from therapy to injections, such as epidurals, medial branch blocks and radiofrequency ablation, and sometimes to surgery. Keep every appointment and follow your doctors’ advice, because insurers use gaps in treatment against injured people.

Common Types of T-Bone and Intersection Crashes

Left-Turn Crashes

A driver turning left must yield to oncoming traffic that is close enough to be a hazard (§ 316.122, Fla. Stat.). Left-turn crashes are among the most common at Boca’s busy intersections, especially where drivers turn on a regular green light rather than a protected green arrow and misjudge how fast oncoming cars are moving.

Red-Light and Stop-Sign Crashes

Drivers must stop for a steady red signal (§ 316.075, Fla. Stat.), and a driver at a stop sign must stop and yield to traffic already in or close to the intersection (§ 316.123, Fla. Stat.). Running a red light, trying to beat a yellow or rolling through a stop sign at speed causes some of the most violent T-bone crashes, including rollovers.

Pulling Out of a Driveway, Parking Lot or Side Street

A driver entering a road from a driveway, shopping center or side street must yield to traffic already on the road (§ 316.125, Fla. Stat.). These crashes are common along Federal Highway and Glades Road, which are lined with retail driveways. See also our page on parking lot crashes.

Where Intersection Crashes Happen in Boca Raton

Boca’s busiest intersections sit on its most crash-prone roads: Glades Road, Federal Highway, Palmetto Park Road and Yamato Road. Intersections along Glades Road near Town Center, at Military Trail and at the I-95 interchange see heavy turning traffic, and left-turn crashes are common there. See Boca Raton’s most dangerous roads on our main car accident page.

Who Is at Fault in a T-Bone Crash?

Florida’s right-of-way rules usually decide who is at fault:

Fault can be shared. Under Florida’s comparative fault law, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, and if you are found more than 50% at fault you recover nothing (§ 768.81, Fla. Stat.).

Why T-Bone Claims Are So Often Disputed or Denied

T-bone crashes are among the most contested claims we handle. They happen in seconds in the middle of an intersection, and without video, photographs or an independent witness it often comes down to one driver’s word against the other’s. Insurance companies use that uncertainty to deny claims or pressure injured people into accepting less. The most common disputes are:

• Who had the light. Both drivers say their light was green.
• Arrow or green light. Whether the turning driver had a protected green arrow, or was turning on a regular green light and had to yield.
• The yellow light. Whether the other driver entered on yellow or had already run a red.
• Right of way at a stop sign. Who arrived first, and whether each driver came to a full stop.
• Speeding versus failure to yield. The turning driver says the other car sped up or was going too fast to see, while the other driver says the turn cut them off.
• Shared fault. Even when the other driver is mostly to blame, insurers argue you share fault to cut the value of your claim.

The right evidence settles these disputes.

How We Prove What Happened

We move quickly to find and preserve evidence, much of which is erased or lost within days or weeks:

• Video from nearby businesses, dash cams or witnesses
• Signal timing records for the intersection
• Witness statements taken while memories are fresh
• Vehicle event data recorder (“black box”) data showing speed and braking
• Crash scene photographs and the police report

The vehicles tell part of the story too. Where each car was damaged and where they came to rest can show which vehicle entered the intersection first and how fast each was moving.

We also look beyond the obvious insurance policy. In one case, described below, we uncovered a second, undisclosed insurance policy on the at-fault vehicle and recovered an additional $50,000 for our client.

Our Results in T-Bone Crashes

See more case results. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.