Why Do T-Bone Collisions Have High Chances of Severe Injuries and Fatalities?

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According to a report from Forbes Advisor, Bakersfield was ranked as one of California’s hotspots for traffic accidents, with intersections like Ming Avenue and Wible Road seeing high numbers of side-impact crashes every year.

A good number of these T-bone crashes could be due to the fact that Bakersfield is also home to some of the worst drivers in the US. It’s no surprise that Bakersfield car accident attorneys are always on standby to defend those who find themselves victims of these accidents.

A Look at T-Bone Accidents

If you’ve ever noticed how much space there is between the bumper and where you sit, it’s not just for looks. It’s actually an intentional design. That space is filled with crumple zones, airbags, and other safety features that absorb the energy of a crash.

But as for the sides, there’s no big buffer zone between you and the outside world. Just a door, some glass, and maybe a side airbag if your car has one. In a T-bone collision, that door is the only thing standing between you and the other vehicle, or whatever it’s carrying, like a truckload of steel beams or a delivery van full of packages.

When a car crashes into the side, there’s almost no time or space to cushion the blow. The force goes straight to the occupants. If you’re on the side that’s hit, you’re absorbing most of that impact, which is why injuries from T-bone crashes can be so severe.

Why T-bone Accidents Are So Dangerous

Here are some of the reasons why people rarely come out of a T-bone accident without severe injuries.

Speed and Impact

Most T-bone crashes happen at intersections. That means at least one car is usually going at a decent speed, maybe 30, 40, or even 50 miles per hour.

When a car hits you from the side at that speed, it doesn’t just nudge you off course. It forces your car to move sideways, which is a direction it wasn’t built to handle.

There’s less protection, and the force spreads differently, often twisting the car and throwing its occupants violently against the inside of the vehicle they are in.

The Human Body isn’t Made for Side Impacts

When your car is hit from the side, your body is thrown sideways, too. Your head, neck, and spine get yanked in unnatural directions, often with terrifying force. Seatbelts come in handy in frontal crashes, but there’s not a lot they can do in a T-bone accident. They’re designed to hold you back, not keep you from moving sideways.

And then there’s your head. In a side impact, it can smash against the window, the doorframe, or even the other passengers. All of these will likely leave you with traumatic brain injuries, concussions, or worse.

Meanwhile, your torso is slammed into the door, where broken ribs, punctured lungs, or internal bleeding can occur. If you’re unlucky, the force can even crush your pelvis or legs and leave long-term damage that could take years, or a lifetime, to recover from.

The Involvement of Larger Vehicles

If the car that hits you isn’t just any car but an SUV, a pickup truck, or even a semi-truck, you’ll likely suffer more harm than just a bruise. These vehicles sit higher off the ground and weigh a lot more than your typical sedan.

When a taller, heavier vehicle crashes into the side of a smaller car, the damage is catastrophic. The impact point is often higher up, right where the windows are, which means the force hits closer to your head and upper body.

And as these vehicles are so much heavier, they hit with more force, crushing the side of your car like it’s made of paper.

Intersections are Unpredictable

Intersections are where T-bone collisions usually happen. These are chaotic places where drivers are making split-second decisions like running yellow lights, turning without looking, or misjudging another car’s speed.

Unlike rear-end collisions, where you might have some time to react, T-bone accidents happen in an instant. One second, you’re cruising through a green light, and the next, a car is charging towards you from the side. You won’t have any time to brake or swerve before it hits you like a bomb.