Short answer: T-bone (side-impact) crashes usually turn on who had right of way at an intersection, and fault is contested more often than in rear-end collisions. Injuries are disproportionately severe because a car door offers far less protection than a crumple zone. Intersection camera footage and vehicle damage geometry frequently decide them.

Why fault is contested

Rear-end collisions have a presumption; side-impacts do not. Both drivers commonly claim a green light, and without independent evidence it becomes one account against another. That is why the physical evidence matters so much.

What decides these cases

• Intersection and business CCTV — often overwritten within about 30 days, which is why speed matters
• Damage geometry — impact angle and depth indicate speed and position
• Independent witnesses, who are far more persuasive than either driver
• Signal timing data, obtainable from the relevant traffic authority
• Vehicle event data recorders in newer cars

Right of way in Arizona

Most side-impacts come down to a right-of-way failure — running a light, misjudging an unprotected left, or failing to yield at a stop. See right-of-way accidents.

Why injuries are worse

Frontal and rear impacts have engineered crush space. A side impact has a door. Occupants on the struck side see markedly higher rates of serious chest, pelvic, spinal and head injury — and severity raises the stakes on a fault dispute that is already close.

Questions people ask

Who is usually at fault in a T-bone accident?

Whoever failed to yield right of way — but that is exactly what gets disputed. Independent evidence generally decides it, not the drivers’ accounts.

What if we both say we had a green light?

Then camera footage, signal timing records, witnesses and damage geometry decide it. Securing footage quickly is the priority.

Can fault be shared?

Yes. Arizona uses pure comparative negligence, so fault can be apportioned and your recovery reduced by your share rather than eliminated.

How fast do I need to act?

Immediately for evidence — CCTV is commonly overwritten on a 30-day cycle. The filing deadline is generally two years.

Free case review

Jack Hirsch is board-certified by the State Bar of Arizona in Injury and Wrongful Death Litigation. No fee unless you recover — 25% settled without litigation, 30% in litigation, plus costs. 602-535-1900.