The money side of an injury claim

Settlement money

T-bone accident: who’s at fault, and what the left-turn law says

A T-bone crash — one car hitting the side of another — usually happens at an intersection, and the case usually turns on one question: who had the right of way? Most often it’s a left turn in front of oncoming traffic. Here’s what each state’s law says, how fault gets split, and who pays.

Reviewed by Morgan Hale, EditorUpdated Sources (30) · Editorial policy

The short version:

  • Right of way decides it: a driver turning left must yield to oncoming traffic in all 10 of the largest states.
  • Fault can be shared: if the straight-through driver was speeding, a jury can split the blame — at 30%, most states cut that driver’s recovery by 30%, and North Carolina can bar it.
  • Evidence goes fast: signal timing, witnesses and camera footage decide these cases, and business cameras record over.
In this guide
  1. Who is usually at fault
  2. Left-turn yield laws in 10 states
  3. When the other driver shares the blame
  4. Who pays
  5. What to do after a T-bone crash
  6. Frequently asked questions
  7. Sources

Who is usually at fault

A T-bone, or broadside, crash happens when the front of one car hits the side of another. The usual causes:

  • A left turn across oncoming traffic — the turning driver misjudges the gap.
  • Running a red light or stop sign into cross traffic.
  • Pulling out of a driveway, parking lot or side street without yielding.

In each case, the question is who had the right of way and who was required to yield. That makes the left-turn rule the most important single statute in these claims.

Left-turn yield laws in 10 states

StateA left-turning driver must yield to
CaliforniaAll oncoming vehicles close enough to be a hazard at any time during the turn, until it can be made with reasonable safety (Veh. Code § 21801(a))
TexasOncoming vehicles in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard (Transp. Code § 545.152)
FloridaAny vehicle approaching from the opposite direction, including one lawfully passing on the left (Stat. § 316.122)
New YorkOncoming vehicles in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard (Veh. & Traf. Law § 1141)
PennsylvaniaOncoming vehicles in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard (75 Pa.C.S. § 3322)
IllinoisOncoming vehicles in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard (625 ILCS 5/11-902)
OhioOncoming vehicles in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard (R.C. 4511.42(A))
GeorgiaOncoming vehicles in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-71)
North CarolinaOncoming vehicles in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard (G.S. 20-155(b))
MichiganOncoming vehicles in or near the intersection; at a signal, also oncoming traffic waiting on a green (MCL 257.650(1))

The rules are nearly identical. The fight is usually over the facts the rule turns on: how close the oncoming car was, whether it was a “hazard,” how fast it was going and what color the light was.

When the other driver shares the blame

Say you were going straight through an intersection when a driver turned left in front of you. Your damages are $30,000, but the insurer argues you were speeding and a jury puts 30% of the fault on you. What you recover depends on the state:

StateFault ruleYou recover at 30% faultDeadline to sue
CaliforniaPure comparative fault (Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975))$21,0002 years (Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1)
TexasBarred above 50% (Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001)$21,0002 years (Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003)
FloridaBarred above 50% (Stat. § 768.81(2), (6))$21,0002 years (Stat. § 95.11(5)(a))
New YorkBarred above 50% (CPLR 1411(a), (b))$21,0003 years (CPLR 214(5))
PennsylvaniaBarred above 50% (42 Pa.C.S. § 7102(a))$21,0002 years (42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2))
IllinoisBarred above 50% (735 ILCS 5/2-1116)$21,0002 years (735 ILCS 5/13-202)
OhioBarred above 50% (R.C. 2315.33)$21,0002 years (R.C. 2305.10(A))
GeorgiaBarred at 50% (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33(a), (g))$21,0002 years (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33)
North CarolinaContributory negligence (N.C. common law)$03 years (G.S. 1-52(16))
MichiganReduced; no pain-and-suffering damages above 50% (MCL 600.2959)$21,0003 years (MCL 600.5805(2))

Illustrative. Most of these states reduce the recovery to $21,000; North Carolina follows contributory negligence, where any fault of yours can bar the claim. New York’s row reflects its 2026 rule for car accident injury suits. Try other percentages in the fault-share calculator.

Who pays

The at-fault driver’s liability insurance pays for your car and injuries, up to the policy limits. In Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan, your own no-fault coverage pays your medical bills first, whoever caused the crash, and a claim for pain and suffering has to meet the state’s threshold — see car accident laws by state. If the other driver had no insurance, see when the other driver is uninsured; for how the claim is valued and paid, see how car accident settlements work.

What to do after a T-bone crash

  1. Call 911 and get medical care. Side impacts can cause injuries that aren’t obvious at first.
  2. Note the signal and the lanes: which light was green, whether there was a turn arrow, where each car was.
  3. Get witnesses — in a disputed left turn or red light, an independent witness often decides it.
  4. Find cameras: traffic cameras, business and doorbell cameras, dashcams. Ask in writing for footage to be kept.
  5. Photograph both cars, the point of impact and the intersection.
  6. Check your deadline in the table above or the claim deadline calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Who is at fault in a T-bone accident?

Usually the driver who didn’t have the right of way — most often a driver turning left in front of oncoming traffic, or one who ran a red light or stop sign. Every one of the 10 largest states requires a left-turning driver to yield to oncoming vehicles that are close enough to be a hazard. The other driver can still share the fault, for example by speeding.

Is the driver turning left always at fault?

Not always. The turning driver has the duty to yield, but an oncoming driver who was speeding, ran a yellow or red light, or wasn’t paying attention can be found partly at fault. In most states that shared fault reduces what the other driver recovers.

Who pays after a T-bone crash?

The at-fault driver’s liability insurer, up to the policy limit. In Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan, your own no-fault (PIP) coverage pays medical bills first regardless of fault, and you claim against the other driver for what it doesn’t cover — subject to each state’s threshold for pain and suffering.

How much is a T-bone accident settlement worth?

There’s no reliable public average. Side-impact crashes can cause serious injuries because there’s little between the door and the occupant, but the settlement is still built from medical bills, lost income and pain and suffering, reduced by any share of fault and capped by the other driver’s policy limit.

What evidence matters most in a T-bone accident?

Evidence of who had the right of way: the signal phase, witnesses, traffic or business cameras, dashcam video, the police report and the damage pattern on both cars. Ask nearby businesses to keep their video quickly, before it’s recorded over.

Keep going

Reviewed by

Morgan Hale, Editor. Writes about the financial side of injury claims — fees, liens, timelines and state rules — and checks every page against its sources before it’s published. Not a lawyer; “Morgan Hale” is a pen name. Editorial policy · How we calculate

Sources

  1. Cal. Veh. Code § 21801 — Left turn or U-turn: yield to approaching vehicles (FindLaw (California Vehicle Code))
  2. Tex. Transp. Code § 545.152 — Vehicle turning left: yield to oncoming vehicles (FindLaw (Texas Transportation Code))
  3. Fla. Stat. § 316.122 — Vehicle turning left (The Florida Senate)
  4. N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 1141 — Vehicle turning left (New York State Senate)
  5. 75 Pa.C.S. § 3322 — Vehicle turning left (FindLaw (Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes))
  6. 625 ILCS 5/11-902 — Vehicle turning left (FindLaw (Illinois Compiled Statutes))
  7. Ohio R.C. 4511.42 — Right of way when turning left (FindLaw (Ohio Revised Code))
  8. O.C.G.A. § 40-6-71 — Vehicle turning left (FindLaw (Georgia Code))
  9. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-155 — Right-of-way; (b) vehicle turning left (FindLaw (North Carolina General Statutes))
  10. MCL 257.650 — Left turn: yield to vehicles approaching from the opposite direction (FindLaw (Michigan Compiled Laws))
  11. Li v. Yellow Cab Co., 13 Cal.3d 804 (1975) — California adopts “pure” comparative negligence (FindLaw (Supreme Court of California))
  12. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001 — No recovery if the claimant is more than 50 percent responsible (FindLaw (Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code))
  13. Florida Statutes § 768.81 (2025) — Comparative fault; no recovery if more than 50 percent at fault (The Florida Senate)
  14. New York CPLR § 1411 — Damages diminished by culpable conduct; 2026 bar for motor vehicle cases under Insurance Law article 51 (New York State Senate)
  15. 42 Pa.C.S. § 7102 — Comparative negligence (no recovery if the plaintiff’s negligence is greater than the defendants’) (FindLaw (Pennsylvania Judicial Code))
  16. 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 — Plaintiff barred if more than 50% of the proximate cause (FindLaw (Illinois Code of Civil Procedure))
  17. Ohio Revised Code § 2315.33 — Contributory fault doesn’t bar recovery unless greater than the others’ combined fault (FindLaw (Ohio Revised Code))
  18. O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33 — Damages reduced by fault; no recovery at 50 percent or more (FindLaw (Official Code of Georgia))
  19. Fault Lines: Understanding Negligence Doctrines (North Carolina’s contributory negligence rule and its exceptions) (UNC School of Government, On the Civil Side blog)
  20. Michigan Compiled Laws § 600.2959 — Comparative fault; no noneconomic damages if more than 50% at fault (FindLaw (Michigan Revised Judicature Act))
  21. California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 — Two years for injury to, or death of, an individual (FindLaw (California Code of Civil Procedure))
  22. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003 — Two years for personal injury, property damage and wrongful death (FindLaw (Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code))
  23. Florida Statutes § 95.11 (2025) — Limitations other than for the recovery of real property (The Florida Senate)
  24. New York CPLR § 214 — Three years for personal injury and injury to property (New York State Senate)
  25. 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524 — Two years for personal injury, wrongful death and injury to personal property (FindLaw (Pennsylvania Judicial Code))
  26. 735 ILCS 5/13-202 — Two years for personal injury (FindLaw (Illinois Code of Civil Procedure))
  27. Ohio Revised Code § 2305.10(A) — Two years for bodily injury or injuring personal property (FindLaw (Ohio Revised Code))
  28. O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33 — Two years for injuries to the person (four for loss of consortium) (FindLaw (Official Code of Georgia))
  29. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52(4), (16) — Three years for personal injury and property damage (FindLaw (North Carolina General Statutes))
  30. Michigan Compiled Laws § 600.5805(2) — Three years for death or injury to a person or property (FindLaw (Michigan Revised Judicature Act))

Not legal or financial advice. InjuryMath is not a law firm and does not sell or broker funding. This page gives general information based on the sources listed; your contracts and your state’s law control. For advice about your situation, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.