What Types of Injuries Are Commonly Associated With T-Bone Accidents?

Ty Robinson | November 18, 2025 | Car Accidents

T-bone crashes are serious car accidents that can potentially injure the drivers and passengers of both vehicles. These collisions involve the front of one car hitting the side of another. Neither of these parts of passenger vehicles offers much protection, which can leave occupants with significant injuries.

Learn more about the most common types of injuries associated with T-bone accidents and what to do about them.

Broken Bones

If you’re in the vehicle that gets hit from the side, you’ll be subjected to a significant amount of force — more than enough to shatter bones. Fractures from T-bone crashes frequently involve the arms (especially if an occupant braces for impact), the clavicles, and the ribs. Some breaks are minor and will take only a few weeks to heal, while others could require surgery. 

Soft Tissue Injuries

It’s also possible to sustain injuries to ligaments, tendons, and muscles. These sorts of soft tissue injuries can cause stiffness, pain, and loss of range of motion that can become chronic if not addressed rapidly. Whiplash is common, but you could also suffer from full muscular tears that require invasive treatments and prolonged healing.

Internal Damage

The force of the impact can result in catastrophic injuries like severed blood vessels and damaged organs.

A challenging aspect of these forms of damage is that they’re not always immediately obvious. For instance, if you injure an internal organ, you may notice a bruise but no significant pain. As the organ struggles to keep up with the body’s demands, however, the pain and other symptoms will worsen, eventually presenting potentially life-threatening complications.

Facial Injuries

T-bone accident victims can hit their heads on an adjacent window, the dashboard, or the airbag, breaking the small bones in the face or around the eyes. It’s also possible to suffer cuts or punctures from debris flying around the cabin. Facial injuries could leave you with scars that require reconstructive procedures. 

Spinal Injuries

Herniated discs are common car accident injuries due to the compression of the spine. When a spinal disc bulges out of place, it can put pressure on surrounding nerves and other structures. 

The spinal cord itself can also become damaged, which is particularly serious. Damage to the spinal cord can present symptoms like numbness, tingling, and pain below the site of the injury. In the worst case, you might develop partial or total paralysis. 

Head Trauma

Traumatic brain injuries can also occur in a T-bone accident. You might hit your head against one of the vehicle’s windows or another structure, causing your brain to shift inside your skull. A bad enough jostling can result in lasting chemical changes. 

In speeding accidents, the force exerted on the brain can be so great that the victim sustains coup-contrecoup injuries. This happens when the brain shifts to one side of the skull and then bounces back against the other side, creating two points of impact.

Psychological Injuries

Not all car accident injuries are physical. The experience of living through a catastrophic collision could leave you battling anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), all of which can manifest as an ongoing fear of cars or driving.

Contact the Charleston Car Accident Lawyer at Ty Robinson Personal Injury & Car Accident Law Firm for Help Today

If you’ve been in a T-bone accident and suffered an injury, hiring an attorney to help you file a personal injury claim may be a prudent move. With skilled legal guidance, you can gather compelling evidence to demonstrate that the other party was liable for the crash. 

Your attorney can also negotiate with the insurance companies on your behalf, thereby making the most of your claim. By speaking with a lawyer soon after your crash, you’ll be taking the proper steps to protect your rights and your claim to compensation.

If you were injured in an accident in Charleston, South Carolina, and need legal help, contact our Charleston car accident lawyer at Ty Robinson Personal Injury & Car Accident Law Firm to schedule a free case review today.

Ty Robinson Personal Injury & Car Accident Law Firm
28 Broad St Suite 204-2
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 278-2222