Side impact or broadside collisions are often referred to as “T-bone” crashes because of the angle of impact. The front of one vehicle strikes the side of another vehicle to form a “T” shape. These crashes are among the most dangerous on California roads. The occupants of the vehicle that is struck in the side have little besides the thin door panels to protect them from the impact of the collision.
If you’ve been injured in a T-bone collision, turn to an experienced car accident attorney in Newport Beach for help right away. At Sam & Ash Injury Law, our attorneys are committed to doing What’s Right for you. We take the time to get to know you on a first-name basis and to understand your goals and concerns. Knowing you as a person helps us develop a legal strategy tailored to your specific needs. Our Newport Beach personal injury law firm has the knowledge and resources to help you stand up to the insurance companies and demand just compensation if you’ve been injured through no fault of your own.
Attorneys Sam Mirejovsky and Ash Watkins have a long track record helping thousands of injured people seek the compensation needed to rebuild their lives. The attorneys at Sam & Ash Injury Law have recovered more than $400 million for accident victims in California and Nevada. Our legal team knows what it takes to hold negligent drivers accountable for the harm they have caused.
Reach out to Sam & Ash today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. We will review the details of your T-bone car accident and discuss how our attorneys can hold the at-fault driver accountable for your injuries.
How Do T-bone Accidents Happen?
A T-bone accident occurs when the front of one motor vehicle hits the side of another vehicle. T-bone accidents most frequently occur in intersections. They often happen when a driver fails to stop at a red light or stop sign as another vehicle is proceeding through the intersection with the right of way.
T-bone accidents may happen when drivers are attempting to make left turns at intersections. If the driver turning left misjudges the speed of a vehicle proceeding straight through the intersection, the driver may turn into the path of the approaching vehicle and be hit in the side. T-bone accidents also happen due to left turns in the middle of the road. For example, if a vehicle turns into a driveway or parking lot from the opposing lane or a center turn lane, another driver may misjudge traffic and not yield the right of way.
T-bone accidents can happen on highways if a driver loses control of their vehicle and careens into the side of another vehicle in an adjacent lane. Low-speed T-bone accidents also happen in parking lots when a driver pulls or backs into a parking lane while another vehicle is traveling down the lane and strikes the side by a vehicle traveling down the parking lane.
Car Crash Statistics in California
According to the California Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, compiled by the University of California, Berkeley, California had a total of 147,292 motor vehicle accidents that resulted in injuries or fatalities in 2020. These crashes caused a total of 208,036 people to suffer injuries or fatalities.
Car Crash Statistics in Newport Beach
In 2020, Newport Beach saw a total of 348 motor vehicle accidents that resulted in a total of 481 injuries and fatalities. This figure is a modest decrease from the 2019 total of 407 accidents that caused fatalities and injuries.
Main Causes of T-bone Accidents in Newport Beach
Examples of the most frequent causes of T-bone accidents include: 
- Reckless driving, including speeding, racing, or weaving in and out of traffic
- Disregarding traffic controls, including running stop signs or red lights
- Failure to yield the right of way, including failing to yield to oncoming vehicles proceeding straight ahead when turning left
- Failure to use turn signals
- Distracted driving, especially texting while driving, using a cell phone, eating or drinking, or reaching around the passenger cabin
- Drowsy or fatigued driving
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Inexperienced drivers who are less familiar with the rules of the road and when to yield the right of way
- Deferred or inadequate vehicle maintenance, which can lead to mechanical or system failures such as worn tires cause blowouts, tread separation, brake failure, or unintended acceleration
T-bone Accidents Between Incompatible Vehicle Types
Many T-bone accident fatalities involve smaller vehicles in a collision with a larger vehicle. An example of this size difference could be a passenger car T-boned by an SUV or a light truck.
Although drivers enjoy the higher seating position SUVs and light trucks offer, the height can potentially restrict their view of smaller passenger cars.
The structural incompatibility is even more pronounced between tractor-trailers and automobiles. In a broadside accident, a car can slide underneath a tractor-trailer because of the height of the trailer.
The weight difference between passenger cars and trucks or SUVs means that the occupants of smaller vehicles may experience more impact force in a T-bone accident, increasing the chance of serious or fatal injuries. A T-bone accident involving a tractor-trailer can cause fatal injuries.
Speeding Increases the Possibility of a T-bone Accident
Speeding is one of the top causes of T-bone accidents. Drivers who are speeding are more likely to fail to stop at red lights or stop signs and enter an intersection when they don’t have the right of way.
Drivers who speed up to try to beat lights that are changing from green to red pose a particular risk of T-bone accidents. Drivers who are in the cross streets may assume that they have a clear path to proceed through the intersection when the light turns green and be struck in the side by a car running a light.
Newport Beach T-bone Accidents Caused by Speeding
Recent T-bone accidents that have occurred in the Newport Beach area include:
- A T-bone crash between an SUV and a student transportation van at the intersection of Irvine Avenue and Bristol Street In February 2020. The driver of the SUV was believed to have run a red light as the van was proceeding through the intersection. The driver of the SUV and one of the passengers in the van suffered injuries.
- A collision between a motorcycle and a sedan at the intersection of 34th Street and Balboa Boulevard In November 2021. Eyewitnesses reported seeing two motorcycles traveling down the road at a high rate of speed. Officers who responded to the scene found the motorcycle operator lying unresponsive in the roadway. The motorcyclist was declared dead at the scene.
Have You Been Involved in a T-bone Accident in Newport Beach?
If you have been involved in a T-bone crash with another vehicle in Newport Beach, there are certain steps that can help protect your legal rights and options. It’s a good idea to:
- Use your cell phone to take photos or video of details of the accident scene, including the positions of the vehicles involved in the T-bone crash, damage to the vehicles, any marks on the road, traffic controls at the scene, and any visible injuries you may have suffered.
- See a doctor as soon as possible after the accident, either by going to the emergency room or by seeing your primary care physician. A doctor can examine you to diagnose any injuries you may have sustained in the crash. Make sure to follow the treatment instructions that your doctors give you.
- Keep copies of medical and vehicle repair bills or other invoices for expenses you incur, as well as records of your income or wages if you’ve missed work due to the injuries in the accident.
- Avoid discussion of the accident or your injuries on social media. Insurance companies and defense lawyers sometimes try to use accident victims’ social media posts to challenge their credibility and deny their claims.
Make time to contact a T-bone accident attorney in Newport Beach to review the accident and discuss the proper steps to take. You may have a right to seek compensation for your medical bills and related expenses from the driver who caused the T-bone accident.
Call Our Newport Beach Injury Attorneys Today
Have you been injured in a T-bone car accident? Contact Sam & Ash Injury Law today for a free consultation to discuss your legal rights and options with a T-bone car accident lawyer in Newport Beach, CA. You deserve What’s Right. Let us help you fight for the kind of compensation you need.
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