A Deadly Threat to Drivers: T-Bone Auto Accidents By Larry A. Tawwater on March 10, 2015

According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), more than half of all deaths that occur on our nation’s roadways result from t-bone auto accidents. Among all types of car accidents, t-bone accidents rank as the most likely to cause serious injury or death. Although most modern cars and trucks are built to protect their occupants from side-impact collisions, there are still many vehicles on the road that fail to provide adequate protection from such collisions, leaving drivers and their passengers highly vulnerable when they are broadsided. Tragically, in busy, crowded metropolitan areas such as Oklahoma City, auto accidents, and t-bone accidents in particular, are a harsh reality of life.

Equally tragically, in many cases, these accidents could be avoided if not for the negligent or deliberately wrongful actions of the drivers at fault for the collisions. Too many innocent victims have been injured or killed on the highways, freeways, and other roadways of Oklahoma City and its suburbs due to reckless, drunk, distracted, and otherwise negligent drivers. If you or someone you love has been injured in a t-bone auto accident, or if you have lost a member of your family in such an accident, the experienced personal injury attorneys of The Tawwater Law Firm can help. We will fight tirelessly on your behalf for the compensation you deserve for the losses and expenses you have sustained due to your injuries or the loss of your loved one. We will not rest until you have recovered every cent of the compensation to which you are legally entitled.

What is a t-bone auto accident?

A t-bone auto accident occurs when the front end of one vehicle collides with the side of another vehicle, forming a “T” shape. This type of accident is particularly hazardous for the occupants of the vehicle being struck from the side, especially in older vehicles without side-impact airbags and other modern safety features.

Common Causes of T-bone Accidents

T-bone auto accidents can be caused by either the vehicle being struck from the side or the vehicle striking the other vehicle with its front end. T-bone auto accidents are commonly caused by one driver’s:

Failure to drive at a safe speed
Failure to stop at a red light or a stop sign
Aggressive or reckless driving
Drunk driving
Driving under the influence of prescription or illegal drugs
Failure to follow the rules of the road, including the failure to yield the right of way when required to do so
Failure to make a safe left turn
Loss of control over his or her vehicle due to a defective automotive part, such as defective brakes or a defective steering column

Even modern cars and trucks built to the highest standards of safety can offer only so much protection in the event of a high-speed t-bone accident. T-bone accidents remain among the biggest threats to life and limb on our nation’s roadways.