What trips people up most is the direction of impact: a T-bone collision is defined by one vehicle striking the side of another, not by whether either driver was turning, running a light, or crossing traffic. The vehicles form a rough "T" shape at impact, so it is also called a side-impact crash or broadside collision.

These crashes usually happen in intersections, private drive entrances, parking-lot lanes, or rural crossings where one vehicle enters another vehicle's path from the side. Damage is often concentrated in a door, side panel, or pillar rather than the front or rear. That matters because side impacts can transfer force directly into the occupant area, especially when there is less space and structure protecting the person hit. Common injuries include head injuries, chest trauma, pelvic fractures, and shoulder or neck injuries.

For an injury claim, the label can affect how fault, right-of-way, speed, visibility, and avoidance are evaluated. In Vermont, liability is governed by modified comparative negligence under 12 V.S.A. § 1036 (1969): an injured person can recover damages only if their share of negligence is not greater than the defendant's. Intersection evidence - traffic signals, skid marks, vehicle data, and witness statements - often decides the case. Vermont's general civil deadline for most car-crash injury claims is 3 years under 12 V.S.A. § 512(4) (1959). Snow and ice on mountain passes from November through April can also complicate side-impact crash analysis by affecting stopping distance and sight lines.