T-BONE AND BROADSIDE IMPACT ACCIDENTS

T-Bone and Broadside Impact Accident Attorney

An intersection is the only place on the road where vehicles traveling North, South, East and West converge to a single point intersecting one another. Consequently, an intersection is an inherently dangerous place. It is where an individual will most likely be involved in a collision known as the “T-bone.” A T-bone accident occurs when one vehicle’s front collides directly with the side of another vehicle causing a “T” shape. These accidents are also called broadside collisions, side impact collisions, right-angle accidents, and left-angle accidents. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Insurance Information Institute (III) 32% of fatalities and 26.4% of injuries are caused by T-bone accidents.

Why Are T-bone Accidents So Severe?

T-bone accidents usually occur at higher speeds than rear-end collisions. Increased speed, angle of impact, and the vulnerability of a vehicle’s side create a certainty for injury. The occupants of the vehicles, especially those on the impacted side, generally receive more severe injuries than they would sustain in other types of vehicle collisions.

The severity of injuries received is highly dependent on the vehicle’s side-impact safety, or lack thereof. In a head-on wreck or a rear-end wreck there is a great deal of steel between the vehicle’s occupant and the collision site. This steel “buffer” absorbs the force of the impact. However, in a driver side T-bone collision there is only the door and the window between the car’s occupant and the impacting car. Car manufacturers have started to include side-impact airbags on newer models in the hopes of preventing serious injuries.

Another reason vehicle occupants are injured more severely in T-bone collisions is because seatbelts are designed to stop a person from being thrown forward. When it comes to being thrown from side-to-side as in T-bone collisions, seatbelts are not as effective.



Finally, the force of the impact often causes the struck vehicle to be pushed into a new direction, which may result in a secondary collision. The initial impact can also cause the impacted vehicle to rollover.

Common Causes of T-Bone Accidents

The #1 cause of T-bone accidents is one driver’s failure to yield the right of way to another vehicle such as:

• Running a stop sign or a red light
• Making a left turn in front of an oncoming vehicle

Some other causes of T-bone collisions are:

• Driving recklessly or negligently
• Driving while intoxicated
• Driving while distracted
• Defects in a vehicle that may affect stopping or steering
• Traffic light failures
• Speeding
• Hydroplaning of a vehicle

What Injuries Are Associated With T-Bone Accidents?

T-bone accidents can cause a lot of the same injuries that one sees in other types of car accidents, but these injuries tend to be much more severe. Some of the most common ones are:

• Cuts from the glass of the side window
• Puncture wounds from the metal of the door
• Bruising and fractures of bones in the chest, pelvis, and abdomen
• Severe trauma to the skull and brain
• Serious neck and spine injuries
• Punctured organs and internal bleeding
• Crush injuries to the arms and legs that may be severe enough to require amputation
• Whiplash
• Herniated and bulging discs in the neck and back

Have You Been Injured in an Automobile Accident? Contact Us Today

If you or a loved one was injured by a distracted driver, contact Lawyer Don today for a free case evaluation.

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