T-Bone (Side-Impact) Accident in Las Vegas: Fault, Injuries, and Your Rights

T-bone crashes often cause immediate, visible injuries — broken glass, door intrusion into the passenger compartment, and occupants struck directly on the side of their body. Call 911 immediately. If you or your passengers are pinned or trapped, tell the dispatcher so fire rescue with extrication equipment can respond.

Stay in your vehicle unless it is unsafe (fire, smoke, fuel leak). T-bone crash victims frequently have pelvic, hip, and rib injuries that worsen with movement. Wait for paramedics to assess you before trying to exit the vehicle. If you are on a busy Las Vegas intersection, staying inside also protects you from passing traffic.

LVMPD responds to intersection crashes within city limits. For non-emergencies, call (702) 828-3111. Henderson PD or North Las Vegas PD cover crashes in their jurisdictions. The responding officer will investigate who had the right of way — this is the central question in every T-bone crash.

Fault in a T-bone crash hinges on who had the right of way. Photograph the traffic signals, stop signs, yield signs, and lane markings at the intersection from multiple angles. If the traffic light was operational, note the signal phase for your direction — green, yellow, or red. Photograph skid marks, debris patterns, and the final positions of both vehicles, which help reconstruct the crash.

Look for traffic cameras at the intersection. Many Las Vegas intersections have cameras operated by the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) or NDOT. Some intersections have red light cameras that capture violations. Businesses on intersection corners — gas stations, convenience stores, fast food restaurants — may have security cameras that recorded the crash. Note every camera you see and share this with police and your attorney.

Get witness contact information. In a T-bone crash at a busy intersection, other drivers waiting at the light, pedestrians on the sidewalk, and passengers in nearby vehicles may have seen who ran the light or failed to yield. Independent witness testimony often decides these cases when physical evidence is inconclusive.

T-bone crashes produce a distinctive injury pattern because the impact strikes the occupant's side, where protection is minimal. Even vehicles with side-impact airbags and reinforced door structures cannot fully prevent injuries when another vehicle drives into the door at speed. The most common T-bone injuries include traumatic brain injury (from the head striking the window or B-pillar), pelvic fractures, hip fractures, broken ribs, collapsed lungs, spleen and liver lacerations, and spinal cord injuries.

Occupants on the struck side of the vehicle sustain the worst injuries. If you were the driver and were T-boned on the driver's side, you likely absorbed the full impact through the door. Internal injuries — bleeding from the spleen or liver, kidney damage — may not produce immediate symptoms but can be life-threatening within hours.

University Medical Center (UMC) is Nevada's only Level I trauma center and is the appropriate destination for critical T-bone injuries. Sunrise Hospital (Level II) also handles serious crash injuries. Go to an emergency room within hours of the crash, even if you feel okay. Request imaging — CT scans for internal injuries, X-rays for fractures, and MRI if spinal or brain injury is suspected. The first medical record after the crash is essential for linking your injuries to the collision.

T-bone crashes typically involve a clear right-of-way violation. The most common fault scenarios are: running a red light (NRS 484B.307), failure to stop at a stop sign (NRS 484B.300), failure to yield when making a left turn (NRS 484B.253), failure to yield when entering a roadway from a driveway or parking lot, and running a flashing red light.

The driver who violated the traffic control device or failed to yield is almost always at fault. However, the other driver's speed and attentiveness can be factors. If you had a green light but were traveling well above the speed limit, the defense may argue you could have avoided the crash with reasonable speed. If you entered an intersection on a stale yellow that turned red, fault becomes disputed.

Nevada's modified comparative negligence system (NRS 41.141) means fault can be shared. If a jury finds you 20% at fault (for example, for entering the intersection at excessive speed) and the other driver 80% at fault (for running the red light), your $100,000 in damages would be reduced to $80,000. The critical threshold is 51% — if you are 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing.

Las Vegas and Clark County have had varying policies on red light cameras over the years. Some intersections in the valley still have camera systems, and traffic cameras operated by the RTC and NDOT monitor major intersections for traffic flow. These cameras may have captured the crash or the moments leading up to it.

Your attorney can subpoena traffic camera footage from the RTC, NDOT, and LVMPD. Time is critical — traffic camera footage is typically stored for a limited period before being overwritten. Business surveillance cameras at gas stations, restaurants, and stores on intersection corners are another valuable source. Many modern vehicles also have event data recorders (EDR or black box) that capture speed, braking, and steering data in the seconds before a crash.

Dashcam footage — from your vehicle, the other driver's vehicle, or third-party vehicles — is the single best evidence in a T-bone crash. If you have a dashcam, preserve the footage immediately. If you do not have a dashcam, check whether any witnesses had one. The footage can conclusively prove who had the green light.

T-bone crash insurance claims often involve disputed fault — each driver claims they had the green light or the right of way. Without camera footage or strong witness testimony, these cases become swearing matches. The insurance company for the other driver will look for any reason to deny or reduce your claim.

Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer without consulting an attorney. Do not accept a quick settlement. T-bone injuries — particularly pelvic fractures, TBI, and internal organ injuries — often require months of recovery, surgery, and rehabilitation. The full cost of your injuries may not be apparent for months.

Nevada's minimum insurance of 25/50/20 (NRS 485.185) is often insufficient for serious T-bone injuries. Pelvic surgery alone can exceed $50,000, and a traumatic brain injury can cost hundreds of thousands in treatment and lost earning capacity. If the at-fault driver is underinsured, your UIM coverage fills the gap.

Nevada's statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of injury for personal injury (NRS 11.190(4)(e)), 3 years for property damage (NRS 11.190(3)(c)), and 2 years for wrongful death. These deadlines are absolute — miss them and your claim is permanently barred.

Report the crash to law enforcement immediately under NRS 484E.030 if injuries are involved. File a DMV report within 10 days for property-damage-only crashes over $750 (NRS 484E.070). Report to your own insurance company promptly.

Act quickly to preserve evidence. Traffic camera footage gets overwritten within days. Witness memories fade. Vehicle damage is repaired or vehicles are scrapped. The sooner your attorney sends preservation letters to NDOT, RTC, and nearby businesses, the more evidence you retain.

T-bone crashes at Las Vegas intersections cause some of the most devastating injuries in car accident cases. Take our free 2-minute assessment at /assessment/ to understand your rights, including fault analysis, insurance coverage, and potential claim value.

If the other driver ran a red light or failed to yield, the fault analysis is strongly in your favor. Even if fault is disputed, evidence preservation and quick action can make the difference. Start with the assessment and connect with a Las Vegas attorney experienced in intersection crash cases.