Injuries Commonly Associated With Michigan T-Bone Car Accidents

In 2024, there were approximately 280,000 car accidents in Michigan. Of those, roughly 30,000 car accidents involved T-bone collisions. T-bone crashes are extremely dangerous and can cause substantial harm and injuries. Although cars are better insulated and prepared to handle side impact collisions than in previous decades, the force of many collisions is way too much for any car to handle, leading to horrible injuries and medical bills.

The Michigan T-bone car accident lawyers at Lee Steinberg are experts in T-bone crashes, working with the best experts and treating doctors in the country to ensure our clients get the pain and suffering compensation they deserve. Understanding the statistics surrounding Michigan T-Bone Car Accidents is crucial for every driver. Michigan T-Bone Car Accidents can have significant impacts on all involved.

Why are T-Bone Car Accidents So Dangerous?

One of the major factors in T-bone crashes is the lack of crumple zones on the sides of vehicles. Crumple zones are areas of a vehicle that are designed to deform and crumple in a collision. This absorbs some of the impact energy, preventing it from being transmitted to the occupants. The front and rear of a vehicle are designed with long crumple zones to absorb energy.

However, the sides have very little material to absorb energy and soften the blow for occupants inside the car. This means the force from the crash can directly impact the driver's or passenger's body, leading to severe injuries.

Most Common Injuries in Michigan T-Bone Car Accidents

T-bone accidents are a type of side-impact crash that forms the letter “T” at the point of impact. These car accidents are relatively common, especially at some of Michigan’s busiest and dangerous intersections in Sterling Heights, Flint, Southfield, Saginaw, and Detroit. T-bone collisions happen when the front of one vehicle strikes the side or middle of another car, truck, or motorcycle. These collisions are very dangerous and sometimes fatal when large trucks and semi-trucks are involved.

Besides drivers, passengers can also be very susceptible to injury in a Michigan T-bone crash. In fact, it’s not uncommon for all parties to be thrown across the inside of a vehicle upon impact. When it comes to injuries sustained in a T-bone collision, the result is frequently much more painful or permanent.

Neck and Back Injuries - Whiplash

A T-bone collision can also create whiplash injuries that result in spinal cord disc damage. This damage can result in disc bulges or herniations that protect the vertebral spine. When the disc impinges on or compresses the adjacent nerves near the spinal cord, the result can be severe pain. In addition, some cervical (neck) and lumbar (back) herniations will cause numbness and tingling sensations in the arms and legs that don’t show up until days after the crash.

These symptoms are often referred to as "soft tissue" injuries, but they are anything but easy. And under Michigan law, a person who sustains a herniated or bulging disc injury due to a Michigan T-bone accident may be able to obtain compensation for their pain and losses.

Traumatic Brain Injury

The amount of force involved in a Michigan T-bone crash can create severe injuries to the head, ranging from mild to severe, that require a diagnostic evaluation. Traumatic brain injury happens with shearing or tearing of the brain’s connecting nerve fibers, causing physical and cognitive impairments that are sometimes permanent. The effects of a TBI or closed-head injury are very frustrating and can be long-lasting, including:

• Dizziness, nausea, sensitivity to light
• Headaches, migraines, and neck pain
• Tinnitus or ringing in the ears
• Memory loss and forgetfulness

Broken Bones

Broken bones to the arms, legs, hips, and ribs often occur due to the area involved in any type of T-bone crash. Compound or displaced fractures usually require surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation period.

Facial Injuries

The forces involved in being thrown from a T-bone crash can cause blunt-force impact with the steering wheel, windows, or other parts of the car. The natural result can be severe injuries to the cheekbone, nose, eye socket, or jawbone. In addition, soft tissue injuries caused by shattering glass and crash material are likely to be significant and require reconstructive surgeries.

Shoulder, Knee, and Joint Injuries

A person’s joints will naturally absorb an incredible amount of force during the crash’s impact, leading to severe ligament strain and even hard-to-repair tendon tears in the shoulders and knees. These injuries are typically treated by orthopedic surgeons specializing in joint injury rehabilitation.

Compensation for Michigan T-Bone Car Accidents

Michigan is a no-fault state, so even if you are at-fault for causing a T-bone crash, you can still make a claim for no-fault benefits. First-party benefits are spelled out by the Michigan no-fault law, and they are also listed in every car insurance policy. Some of the more important benefits include: 

Medical Expenses – The car insurance company must pay for all medical expenses related to the auto accident not covered by health insurance up to the PIP coverage limit. These expenses include doctors’ visits, physical therapy, rehabilitation, surgery, and other similar medical charges.

Lost Wages – The auto insurance company must pay 85% of gross wages for up to 3 years from the date of the motor vehicle accident. These are called wage loss benefits. For example, suppose a person earns $1,000 per week from their job but cannot work due to auto accident injuries. In that case, the auto insurance company must pay $850 for that week’s lost income.

Household Replacement Services – The auto insurance company must pay $20 per day for household replacement services. These are the household chores you could do before the accident, but can no longer do because of your injuries. Examples include laundry, vacuuming, dishes, taking out the garbage, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, cleaning the home, and other household chores.

Attendant Care – Benefits also include the payment of nursing care following a crash. This nursing care or attendant care can be received either in-home or at a residential facility. Attendant care includes wound care, bathing, dressing, feeding, hygiene, and general supervision. Friends and/or family may provide nursing care services. The individuals doing the care are entitled to get paid hourly, just like an attending nurse.

Compensation for Pain and Suffering

An injured person in a T-bone accident can receive pain and suffering compensation from either the individual or company that was negligent in causing the injuries. For example, in a car crash, the driver's car insurance company would be responsible for paying pain and suffering. However, you must prove the other driver was at least 50% at fault for causing the accident. A Michigan T-Bone Accident Lawyer can help you prove this to win your case. They can assist you with dealing with insurance companies from the start and help settle your claim.

Lee Steinberg Law Firm Case Study: T-Bone Crash in Farmington Hills

Our client sustained multiple injuries after being involved in a T-bone crash in Farmington Hills. Sadly, he was hit by a negligent driver who blew a red light near 9 Mile Road and Middlebelt Road. The collision caused substantial damage to our client’s vehicle, and he suffered from neck pain, headaches, left-hand injuries, and left shoulder injuries. His treatment involved an invasive rotator cuff surgery to repair a complete tear and labral detachment.

Because of his injuries, our client relied upon friends and family members for help. Not only was our client overwhelmed by the accident’s disruptions, unlike other Michigan car accident victims, but his entire life had also turned upside down. He could not perform many of the household chores he had been doing before the accident. He also could not participate in recreational activities he enjoyed before the accident, including gardening and riding his motorcycle.

Although the at-fault driver’s insurance admitted fault, it did not admit responsibility for our client’s injuries and losses. But our team of Detroit car accident lawyers pushed the insurance company and carefully documented his injuries, pain and suffering, and ailments from the crash.

We were able to obtain a significant pain and suffering settlement for our client, ensure his medical bills were paid, out-of-pocket costs were reimbursed, and all outstanding lost wages were paid. And, Lee Steinberg Law Office can do just the same for you. We can start by answering your questions and letting you know if you have a case. And we never charge a cent until you have won.

T-Bone Crashes Are Costly — Why You Need an Experienced Michigan Car Accident Lawyer

T-bone car accidents are among the most expensive and complex crashes because they often cause catastrophic injuries, long-term medical care, and disputes over fault. Insurance companies aggressively minimize these claims by downplaying side-impact trauma, shifting blame, or arguing that injuries are unrelated to the crash.

Because insurance companies will do just about anything to deny a claim, working with a Michigan T-bone crash accident lawyer to help you navigate everything is vital. These cases demand special attention because of the severity of the injuries, the emotional trauma, and the insurance company defenses that inevitably come up. Contact the best Michigan T-Bone Car Accident team at the Lee Steinberg Law Firm, 1-800-LEE-FREE (1-800-533-3733) for a free consultation.