A T-bone collision is a violent, jarring crash that is also referred to as a side-impact collision or a broadside collision. It occurs when one vehicle collides with another at right-angles. While these crashes can occur on nearly any type of street in nearly any type of driving environment, they tend to occur at intersections.
Motor vehicle collisions can result from anything ranging from poor attention and lack of experience to tire blowouts and bad weather. When attempting to avoid broadside collisions, it is wise for drivers to identify conditions that can lead to danger. Are there general factors that often lead to a T-bone collision?
Most often, the side-impact collision is the result of one driver failing to yield the right-of-way to another driver. This can be the result of drunk driving, drugged driving or distracted driving. These accidents typically occur when:
- Drivers make an unsafe left turn across an intersection
- Drivers fail to accurately anticipate another car stopping at an intersection
- Drivers run a red light, stop sign or other safety signal at an intersection
- Drivers make an unsafe turn across traffic from a parking lot or parking garage
Depending on the types of vehicles involved and factors such as speed, a T-bone collision can result in devastating injuries to all vehicle occupants. Drivers and passengers can suffer head wounds, spinal cord damage, paralysis, multiple fractures or amputation. Additionally, the jarring motion of the collision can cause a traumatic brain injury even if there is no apparent wound. The brain can be jostled inside the cranium leading to cognitive or perceptive impairment.