Fort Wayne T-Bone Accident Lawyers

Legal Assistance When Another Driver Broadsides You at an Intersection

If another driver ran a red light, ignored a stop sign, or turned into your lane without checking traffic, the side of your car absorbed the full force of the crash. That's a T-bone accident, one of the more severe wrecks on Fort Wayne roads.

An adjuster may already be calling, and the other driver may already be denying fault. At Shaw Law, our Fort Wayne T-bone accident attorneys work to establish who had the right-of-way and build your claim for the losses this crash caused.

If a side-impact crash left you hurt in Fort Wayne, call (260) 777-7777 or contact us online to talk with one of our lawyers about your T-bone accident claim.

Common Location and Cause of T-Bone Crashes

Intersections account for the largest share of T-bone accidents, and Coliseum Boulevard, Lima Road, and Anthony Boulevard see some of the heaviest crossing traffic in the city.

Most T-bone accidents come down to one driver proceeding through an intersection without the right-of-way (the legal priority to go first), whether that's misjudging a signal, running a stop sign, or turning left into oncoming traffic. Signal timing often becomes the center of the fault fight, and that timing can decide your entire claim.

Side-Impact Injuries Are Often Severe

A vehicle's doors and side panels don't have the crumple zones or bumper that absorb head-on impact. That force goes straight into the driver or passenger, which is why side-impact collisions can cause traumatic brain injuries, fractured ribs, and spinal damage, even in vehicles equipped with side airbags.

We see clients whose ER paperwork looks minor and whose MRI three weeks later doesn't. That's why we track your medical treatment through the EZ Case app so your claim's estimated value updates as your diagnosis develops, not just at the value it had on day one.

How Fault Gets Decided When You and the Other Driver Disagree

Insurance companies build T-bone defenses around one argument: that you entered the intersection too, so you share the blame. Because JJ Shaw spent years working inside an insurance defense firm, he knows that argument before it's made, and he directs the investigation toward the evidence that shuts it down, photographing the damage pattern on each vehicle, pulling traffic camera footage before it's overwritten, and locking down witness statements while the details are still fresh.

Indiana follows a modified comparative fault rule under Indiana Code 34-51-2-6. If you're found less than 51 percent at fault, you can still recover compensation, reduced by your percentage of fault. At 51 percent or more, the law bars you from recovering anything, which is why the fault fight matters so much in a T-bone case.

Evidence from a T-bone crash disappears fast. Call (260) 777-7777 to have our attorneys start investigating your Fort Wayne side-impact accident before that evidence is gone.

What Our Trial Record Brings to a Side-Impact Claim

You work with JJ Shaw or Sky Shaw personally. JJ Shaw has tried more than 100 cases before Indiana juries and judges, and that record is part of why insurance companies negotiate differently on his files. They know he'll take a case to a jury if the offer isn't fair. He's recovered more than $18,000,000 in verdicts and settlements since 2012, holds an Avvo Rating of 10.0, and works every file alongside Sky Shaw, a second-generation trial attorney named to The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40.

We take these cases on contingency, so you owe nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

What You Can Recover After a T-Bone Accident

If you suffered a serious injury because another driver failed to yield, Indiana law lets you pursue compensation from the at-fault driver beyond your medical bills.

A side-impact injury claim can include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Future economic costs 
• Disability and disfigurement
• Emotional anguish

Our EZ Case app tracks each category as your claim develops, so you can see how your case's estimated value changes as your losses become clearer.

How Long You Have to File Your Claim in Indiana

Indiana gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit under Indiana Code 34-11-2-4. Miss it, and the court dismisses your claim. It doesn't matter how strong your evidence is.

Fortunately, the evidence that determines fault - camera footage, witness memory, and vehicle damage - holds up better the sooner it's gathered.

Frequently Asked Questions About T-Bone Accident Claims

Every side-impact crash raises its own fault and evidence questions. These are the ones injured drivers ask us most often.

Who Is Usually at Fault in a T-Bone Accident?

Fault usually falls on the driver who failed to yield the right-of-way, whether that means running a red light, ignoring a stop sign, or turning into oncoming traffic. Signal timing and the sequence of events at the intersection typically decide who that driver was.

What If the Police Report Blames Me for the Crash?

A police report is evidence, not a final ruling on fault. Officers sometimes get the sequence of events wrong, especially when there weren't clear witnesses, and a report can be challenged with camera footage, vehicle damage analysis, and other evidence gathered after the fact.

Can I Still Recover Damages If I Was Partly at Fault in Indiana?

Yes, as long as you're found less than 51 percent at fault under Indiana's comparative fault law. Your compensation gets reduced by your percentage of fault, but you're not barred from recovering unless you cross that 51 percent threshold.

How Long Do I Have to File a Claim After a Side-Impact Accident in Indiana?

Indiana's statute of limitations gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. Waiting too long to gather evidence can hurt your claim well before that deadline arrives.

What If There Wasn't a Witness to Confirm What Happened?

Witness statements help, but they're not the only way to prove fault. Traffic camera footage, 911 call recordings, vehicle damage patterns, and event data from the vehicles themselves can all establish what happened at the intersection.