T-Bone (Side-Impact) Accident in Houston: Your Rights and Next Steps

Call 911 immediately after a T-bone collision. Side-impact crashes frequently cause serious injuries — broken ribs, pelvic fractures, head injuries from striking the side window, and internal organ damage. Tell the dispatcher your location, the number of vehicles, and whether anyone is visibly injured or trapped.

If you can move safely, check on passengers on the struck side of the vehicle. They are most likely to have serious injuries. Do not attempt to move anyone with potential spinal injuries unless there is an immediate danger like fire. Wait for paramedics.

When police arrive, give a factual statement about what happened. In T-bone cases, the critical question is who had the right-of-way. If you had a green light or the right-of-way, state that clearly. If the other driver ran a red light or stop sign, tell the officer. Get the crash report number before officers leave.

T-bone crashes are intersection crashes, and the physical evidence at the intersection is critical. Photograph the traffic signals, stop signs, yield signs, and lane markings. Photograph the point of impact on both vehicles — the side damage to one vehicle and the front damage to the other. Photograph skid marks, debris patterns, and the final resting positions of both vehicles.

Look for red-light cameras or traffic cameras at the intersection. The City of Houston operates traffic cameras at many major intersections, and TxDOT has cameras on highway interchange ramps. Nearby businesses may have surveillance cameras aimed at the intersection. Identify these cameras and provide locations to police and your attorney. This footage can definitively prove who ran the light.

Get witness statements. T-bone crashes often come down to 'he said, she said' about who had the green light. Witnesses who saw the signal state or the other driver's approach can break the tie. Get names, phone numbers, and ask what they saw. Dashcam footage from your vehicle or any other vehicle at the intersection is also valuable.

Side-impact crashes produce a distinctive injury pattern. The occupant on the struck side absorbs the majority of the force, with only a thin car door and possibly a side curtain airbag between them and the other vehicle. Common T-bone injuries include pelvic fractures, hip fractures, rib fractures, pneumothorax (collapsed lung from broken ribs), liver and spleen lacerations, traumatic brain injury from the head striking the side window or B-pillar, cervical and thoracic spine injuries, and shoulder injuries.

Go to the emergency room immediately after a T-bone crash. Houston's Level I trauma centers — Memorial Hermann-TMC, Ben Taub Hospital, and Houston Methodist — are equipped for the severe injuries that side impacts cause. Tell the doctor the details of the crash, including which side of the vehicle was struck and where you were seated.

Follow all treatment plans: surgery, physical therapy, specialist referrals, imaging. Pelvic fractures and internal organ injuries may require extended hospitalization and months of recovery. Keep every medical record and bill. The severity of T-bone injuries often results in higher claim values, but only if the injuries are thoroughly documented.

In most T-bone crashes, one driver had the right-of-way and the other violated it. The driver who ran a red light, rolled through a stop sign, failed to yield at a yield sign, or made a left turn into oncoming traffic is typically at fault. Texas Traffic Code violations (Tex. Transp. Code § 544.007 for traffic signals, § 545.151 for right-of-way) establish negligence per se.

Fault disputes are common in T-bone cases. Both drivers may claim they had the green light. Without independent evidence — traffic camera footage, witness testimony, dashcam video — it becomes a credibility contest. Physical evidence can help: the location and angle of impact, skid marks showing braking attempts, and the severity of damage can indicate relative speeds and approach angles.

Texas proportionate responsibility rules apply (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001). Even if the other driver ran the red light, the insurer may argue you were speeding, distracted, or could have avoided the collision. Your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are more than 50% at fault, you recover nothing.

A significant percentage of T-bone crashes involve left turns. A driver making a left turn at an intersection must yield to oncoming traffic (Tex. Transp. Code § 545.152). If the turning driver misjudges the speed or distance of oncoming traffic, or turns during a yellow/red light transition, the result is a broadside collision.

Left-turn crashes create complex fault scenarios. The turning driver is usually at fault for failing to yield, but the through driver may share fault if they were speeding, ran a yellow light that turned red, or were otherwise negligent. Insurance companies often dispute fault percentages in left-turn T-bone cases.

If you were the through driver hit by a left-turning vehicle, document the traffic signal state, your speed, and any witnesses who can confirm you had the right-of-way. If you were the turning driver, document any conditions that made the oncoming vehicle difficult to see — sun glare, obstructed sight lines, or the other driver's excessive speed.

File a claim against the at-fault driver's insurance. Texas minimum liability coverage is 30/60/25 (Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072). T-bone crashes often cause injuries that exceed minimum coverage limits, especially for the occupant on the struck side. If the at-fault driver's coverage is insufficient, your UIM coverage fills the gap.

The insurance company will investigate fault, review the police report, examine physical evidence, and assess your injuries. In disputed-fault T-bone cases, the insurer may deny the claim or offer a reduced settlement based on their fault assessment. Do not accept a quick settlement before knowing the full extent of your injuries.

If both drivers' insurers dispute fault, the case may need to go to litigation. A personal injury attorney can retain an accident reconstruction expert to analyze the physical evidence and determine who had the right-of-way. For serious T-bone injuries — pelvic fractures, TBI, organ damage — the investment in expert analysis is usually justified by the claim value.

Texas has a 2-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003). If a City of Houston vehicle (e.g., Metro bus) T-boned you, written notice must be provided within 90 days. Claims against TxDOT or state entities require notice within 6 months.

Preserve evidence quickly. Request traffic camera footage from the City of Houston and TxDOT within days of the crash — footage may be overwritten. Ask nearby businesses to preserve surveillance footage. Photograph the intersection, signals, and signage before any changes are made.

T-boned at a Houston intersection? Take our free 2-minute assessment at /assessment/. We will evaluate your situation — including fault analysis, injury severity, insurance coverage, and your potential recovery — and connect you with a Houston personal injury attorney experienced in side-impact collision cases.

T-bone crashes cause some of the most devastating injuries because the side of your car simply cannot absorb the same force as the front or rear. If someone ran a red light, failed to yield, or made an illegal turn and hit the side of your vehicle, Texas law gives you the right to full compensation. Start with the assessment. It is free, confidential, and takes less time than waiting on hold with an insurance company.