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    t-bone accident

    T‑bone car accidents, also known as side-impact or right-angle collisions, are among the most dangerous crashes on South Carolina roads. They often happen at intersections when a negligent driver runs a red light or stop sign, slamming straight into the side of another vehicle and causing devastating injuries.

    If you have suffered serious injuries in a T-bone collision in South Carolina, the award-winning car accident lawyers at Joye Law Firm Injury Lawyers can help you pursue full compensation for your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Our experienced South Carolina car accident lawyers represent clients across the state. With offices throughout Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Greenville, North Charleston, Columbia, Summerville, and Clinton, help is close by. Let us put our legal knowledge to work for you.

    Since 1968, we’ve helped tens of thousands of injured victims, just like you, secure over half a billion dollars in verdicts and settlements. Discover how a T-bone crash in Columbia changed the life of a 40-year-old tire technician and what Joye Law Firm’s attorney Sydney Lynn did to help him recover an $800,000 settlement. By strategically settling the workers’ comp claim while pursuing a third-party claim, Attorney Lynn ensured her client’s access to medical treatment.

    Read the full story here.

    Why Consult Our Personal Injury Lawyers at Joye Law Firm for South Carolina T‑Bone Accident Cases

    • Proven record. From multi‑million‑dollar verdicts in catastrophic injuries to policy limit settlements for whiplash and broken bones, we focus on securing results that pay medical expenses, lost wages, and help our clients get their lives back on track.
    • Local reach. Offices in Charleston, Greenville, Columbia, North Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Summerville, and Clinton mean fast access to the accident scene and courts statewide.
    • Intersection crash investigation. Our injury lawyers work with former highway safety officers, accident‑reconstruction engineers, and industry experts to map the striking vehicle’s path and the driver or passenger compartment’s damage.
    • Insurance company pushback. Adjusters aim to close claims quickly and cheaply. We present traffic‑camera video, black‑box data, and medical evidence so the at‑fault driver’s insurer no longer controls the story.
    • Award-winning Representation. Our lawyers are respected by their peers. Every year several of our attorneys are selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America, South Carolina Super Lawyers, and many have held elected leadership positions in statewide legal organizations.
    • No fee unless we win. Every car accident client receives our resources without incurring any out-of-pocket expenses—even for expert testimony. That’s our No Fee Guarantee©.

    Our commitment starts with a free consultation and continues until you receive the rightful compensation that reflects the serious harm you endured.

    Personal Injury Cases We’ve Handled

    Here are a just a few of the T-bone accident case results Joye Law Firm attorneys have successfully handled for injured clients across South Carolina.

    Joye Law Firm is proud of the results our South Carolina personal injury attorneys have achieved. Each one represents a hard-fought battle for justice. While these results our track record of success, please remember that prior results do not guarantee future outcomes.

    What Is a T‑Bone Accident and Why Are They So Serious?

    A T‑bone crash, sometimes called a side‑impact or broadside collision, happens when the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another, forming the shape of the letter “T.” These wrecks almost always occur in intersections where vehicles travel at an angle to one another. Because the struck vehicle’s door panel sits only inches from the occupants, the crash energy reaches people far faster than in front or rear‑end impacts.

    Simply put, side impacts are deadly. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that in 2022, side‑impact crashes accounted for 22 percent of all passenger‑vehicle occupant deaths in the United States. Intersections add another layer of danger, as red‑light running is increasing and alone killed 1,149 people that same year. Many of those deaths result from the cross‑traffic collisions that create classic T‑bone scenarios.

    Why do occupants suffer such severe harm? Modern cars have large crumple zones at the front and rear, but the side structure offers little room to absorb force. When a door caves in, occupants can sustain traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, fractured ribs, or other blunt force trauma that cause fatal injuries within milliseconds. Those lucky enough to survive are often severely injured and face lifelong pain, mental anguish, and post‑traumatic stress disorder.

    A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says 96 percent of intersection accidents are caused by driver error.

    The most common errors are:

    • Not adequately looking before turning
    • Incorrectly assuming another driver’s action or intention
    • Turning with an obstructed view
    • Illegal maneuvers (e.g., running a red light or stop sign, illegal passing, etc.)
    • Distracted driving (i.e., internal distraction or inattention)
    • Misjudging the speed of an oncoming vehicle and/or the distance between vehicles.

    Dangerous Intersections in South Carolina

    The South Carolina Department of Public Safety compiles car accident data, which several news organizations have examined in recent years to identify the most dangerous intersections in South Carolina.

    Using data from previous years, The Post and Courier identified the two most dangerous intersections in South Carolina as:

    While crash totals may fluctuate year-to-year, unless an intersection is redesigned (similar to how the state addressed changes to I-20 at Broad River Road by adding a diverging diamond pattern), it can be assumed that once an intersection makes such a list, it remains dangerous.

    Dangerous South Carolina intersections identified by:

    Columbia and Richland County
    • Assembly Street and Elmwood Avenue
    • Taylor Street (S.C. 12) and Huger Street where the highway splits into two one-way streets – Hampton and Taylor streets
    • Devine Street at Garners Ferry Road and Rosewood Drive
    • Main Street and Elmwood Avenue
    • Gervais Street and Huger Street
    • The now defunct Broad River Road and I-20
    • I-20 and I-26 interchange, known as “Malfunction Junction” has entered its third phase of traffic flow improvements, which includes the permanent closure of the westbound I-26 off-ramp to Bush River Road. For the latest updates, view the Carolina Crossroads traffic alerts.
    • Broad River Road and I-26
    • Killian Road and I-77
    • Two Notch Road and Sparkleberry Lane
    Charleston and Charleston County
    • I-26 and Ashley Phosphate Road
    • I-26 and I-526
    • Rivers Avenue and Otranto Road
    • Rivers and Ashley Phosphate
    • Sam Rittenberg Boulevard and S.C. 61
    Summerville and Dorchester County
    • Dorchester Road and Ladson Road
    • Dorchester Road and Trolley Road
    • Dorchester Road and Bacons Bridge Road
    • North Main Street and U.S. 78
    • Berlin Myers Parkway and U.S. 78
    Myrtle Beach and Horry County
    • 501 and S.C. 544 (Corp. Dennis Lyden Memorial Highway)
    • 17 and S.C. 544
    • 501 and Gardner Lacy Road
    • 501 and Carolina Forest Boulevard
    • 9 (E. Main Street) and S.C. 57 (Lockemy Highway)

    Who Is Typically at Fault in a T‑Bone Accident in South Carolina?

    Liability usually falls on the driver who failed to yield:

    • Running a red light or ignoring a stop sign
    • Turning left across oncoming traffic
    • Speeding through an intersection
    • Distracted driving, including phone use
    • Driving under the influence
    • Pulling out from a parking lot or side street into oncoming vehicles

    Under South Carolina law, an at‑fault party can be an individual motorist, a commercial operator, or even a governmental agency if a road defect contributes to the accident. When one vehicle has right‑of‑way, the driver who violates that rule bears responsibility.

    In some events, a striking vehicle hits a car forced into their path by a negligent driver ahead, creating shared fault questions. Our car accident lawyers collect data to show each negligent driver’s share of blame and preserve your right to seek compensation.

    What Compensation Can I Seek After a T‑Bone Accident?

    A severe T‑bone car accident can produce economic and non‑economic damages, including:

    Economic

    • Medical expenses, including ambulance, emergency care, surgery, hospital stays, medication, imaging, and physical therapy
    • Future treatment for spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, or chronic pain
    • Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity
    • Vehicle repair or replacement
    • Out‑of‑pocket costs, such as home health aides or medical equipment

    Non‑Economic

    • Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
    • Loss of enjoyment of life
    • Scarring or disfigurement
    • Emotional distress and post‑traumatic stress disorder
    • Loss of companionship in wrongful‑death cases
    • In some cases, punitive damages may be available to punish the wrongdoer’s bad behavior

    In fatal injuries, families may also recover funeral costs and other wrongful‑death damages. Because insurance company offers often undervalue non‑economic harm, an experienced T‑bone accident lawyer presents medical records, therapist notes, and testimony from relatives and co‑workers to show the full human impact.

    How Is Fault Determined in a T‑Bone Accident?

    South Carolina follows a modified comparative negligence rule, which means you can still recover damages as long as you are less than 50 percent at fault. Establishing fault in a side‑impact accident involves:

    1. Police crash report. Officers document the accident scene, draw diagrams, and list traffic‑law violations.
    2. Electronic data. Event data recorders show speed, brake use, and steering input seconds before the vehicle strikes.
    3. Intersection cameras and dash cams. Video often shows a driver fails to stop or yield.
    4. Witness statements. Neutral observers confirm light phases or stop‑sign positions.
    5. Physical evidence. Skid marks, debris, crush patterns, and damage to the driver or passenger compartment reveal impact points.
    6. Accident recreation. Engineers use software to match damage energy to vehicle speeds.
    7. Medical correlation. The location of broken bones, internal organ damage, and severe injuries aligns with force direction, supporting fault analysis.

    Joye Law Firm moves fast to preserve every piece of evidence, before skid marks fade or vehicles are scrapped.

    The Impact of ‘Comparative Fault’ in S.C. T-Bone Accident Claims

    In personal injury claims, the State of South Carolina abides by a doctrine known as “comparative fault” or “contribution among tortfeasors.” In short, if two or more parties share fault for an accident, the amount of compensation each party may obtain through a claim is affected by what percentage of blame for the accident a court of law assigns to them.South Carolina Modified Comparative Negligence breakdown

    For example, in a claim for $100,000 in damages, if you were found to be 20 percent at fault for the accident – you were speeding a little when broadsided by a car that ran a red light, let’s say – the most you could recover at trial would be $80,000.

    Further, if you are found to be more than 50 percent at fault for an accident, you cannot recover any compensation under South Carolina’s rules.

    What makes this an incredibly important issue is that, in any South Carolina car accident case, the opposing insurance company will try to pin as much blame on the plaintiff (the victim) as possible. Regardless of what’s fair, insurers and their attorneys have a financial duty to the company to work to reduce the amount paid out for a claim. Establishing the possibility that you, too, were negligent and responsible for a T-bone car accident could save an insurance company several thousand dollars. An experienced car accident lawyer can push back against unfair or inaccurate fault determinations.

    Contact an Experienced South Carolina T-Bone Car Accident Attorney

    To obtain the compensation you deserve after being injured in a T-bone collision, you need an experienced car accident attorney by your side. Our award-winning South Carolina personal injury lawyers can work to establish how the accident happened and what you are owed for your economic and non-economic losses and work aggressively to obtain it for you. We can also mitigate the impact of any evidence that could be used against you and protect you from illegitimate blame in a T-bone accident.

    Since 1968, the South Carolina car accident lawyers at Joye Law Firm have successfully pursued claims for individuals and families whose lives have been disrupted by automobile accidents. We are compassionate legal professionals who bring nearly 300 years of combined experience to each injury claim we handle. We take cases from Charleston, Columbia, Clinton, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, and throughout the Palmetto State, and we can help you, too.

    Contact Joye Law Firm today at (888) 324-3100 or use this online contact form to set up a free review of your case. We don’t charge a fee unless we recover compensation for you.

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