Three People Injured in Whatcom County T-Bone Crash over Weekend
Sadly, car accidents happen every day and Whatcom County sees its fair share. As reported by kgmi.com, three people were injured in a T-bone crash on Aldrich Road this weekend. According to Washington State Patrol (WSP), the crash occurred when a silver 1997 Acura Integra that was traveling northbound on Aldrich Road crashed into a Buick sedan that was turning left off of King Tut Road on Saturday. Sadly, the driver of the Acura was not wearing a seatbelt and was transported to Harborview because of his injuries. The man and a woman in the Buick were transported to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center for their injuries. While the crash is still under investigation, speed has been identified as a factor in the collision.
T-bone car accident injuries are often deadly
T-bone accidents (also called side-impact car accidents or broadside crashes) got their name because of the perpendicular shape the cars make upon impact. A T-bone car accident is deadlier than other types of car accidents because there is no “crumple zone” like a trunk or engine. When you think about it, a car door is not very thick.
T-bone collisions are responsible for 18 percent of all fatal traffic accidents, while only accounting for 13 percent of all motor vehicle accidents in the United States. According to statistics released by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) from a study conducted in the year 2000: in crashes between passenger cars, 51 percent of deaths occurred in side-impact car accidents. In cases that involved an SUV or truck as the at-fault vehicle, the death rate rose to 60 percent. With the increase in SUVs on the road in the last couple of decades, side-impact car accidents have become that much more deadly. According to the National Transportation Highway Safety Administration (NTHSA), about 8,000 Americans lose their lives every year as a result of a T-bone accident.
Common causes of side-impact car accidents
In most cases, side-impact car accidents happen because of reckless, impaired or other types of negligent driving. When a driver runs a red light or misses a stop sign and crashes into another vehicle because they were racing, intoxicated, texting and driving or because of any other reckless behavior; they have caused a crash through negligence.
In this case, speed has been identified as a cause of the crash. Speeding is a danger to everyone on the road from the driver themselves, to other drivers, passengers and pedestrians. The fact is that speeding both increases the chance of getting into a car accident and the likelihood that the accident will be deadly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding was the leading cause of death for 9,738 people in 2018. According to crash stats from the NHTSA, speeding has been a factor in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle accident fatalities for more than two decades.
Seek the help of a car accident attorney
If you or a loved one was injured because of the negligence or reckless behavior of another, contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your legal rights. Let an experienced car accident attorney fight for the full compensation that you deserve. It is not uncommon to receive a settlement from the insurance company that is five to ten times larger with the help of a lawyer. Call the personal injury lawyers at Tario & Associates, P.S. in Bellingham, WA today for a FREE consultation! We have been representing residents of Whatcom County, Skagit County, Island County and Snohomish County since 1979. You will pay nothing up front and no attorney fees at all unless we recover damages for you!
