What to Do After a T-Bone Collision
The shape of a T-bone collision does not reveal which driver had the right of way. The first useful task is to map each vehicle’s approach, turn and impact point against the actual traffic controls. Seek appropriate care and keep a factual collision report. A witness who saw both approaches, a dashcam or a signal record may answer a question that damage photographs alone cannot.
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Raffi Naljian
Founder, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Attorney
Raffi Garabed Naljian is the founder of Naljian Law Offices and an active California attorney under State Bar #238919. A Los Angeles Times profile says he founded the firm in 2008 after beginning his legal career in 1997, and the State Bar lists personal injury, litigation, criminal law, and business law among his self-reported practice areas.
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This is a focused supporting page. Use Raffi Naljian's full sourced attorney profile as the primary identity record for biography, role, languages, office information, and public-record links. Review that profile alongside the issue-specific preparation and public sources below.
The State Bar record lists Raffi Garabed Naljian as an active California attorney, State Bar #238919. Hurt Advice is a separate referral and legal information service, not the attorney's law firm.
How to Evaluate Attorney Fit for This Issue
For a disputed side-impact collision, ask what evidence could test both drivers’ accounts of the light, stop sign or left turn. A consultation should identify the available report, camera custodian and uncertainty without claiming the person struck on the side automatically wins.
Consultation worksheet
Side-impact approach map
Write what each source can actually establish. A side-impact location does not itself decide right of way.
There is no submit or save action. Copy your notes before leaving this page.
Which roads, direction and lane did each vehicle use? Was a turn underway, and where is that shown?
Which signal, sign, arrow or stop line applied to each approach? What phase was actually seen rather than assumed?
Who holds any business, city or vehicle recording, and what view does it cover?
Which account conflicts with the diagram or witness view, and which record would best test that conflict?
Sources for this guide
- California DMV Driver Handbook: Laws and rules of the road
Official rules for intersection controls, turning and yielding; used to frame factual questions, not to assign fault.
- California Vehicle Code section 21801
Primary California rule on yielding when making a left turn or U-turn.
- California Department of Insurance: So You Have Had an Accident
Official accident and auto-claim guidance on safety, exchanging information, documenting a collision, and contacting an insurer.
- California DMV: Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1)
Explains when the separate DMV accident report is required, what information it needs, and the applicable timing.
What to Do Next
- 1Move only as safety requires, address injuries and give responders the direction each vehicle traveled and any traffic control you actually observed.
- 2Photograph the intersection from each approach, lane arrows, stop lines, signal heads, vehicle rest positions and the damaged sides.
- 3Record independent witnesses’ viewing positions and identify municipal, business or vehicle cameras that may cover the approach.
- 4Request the investigating report and compare its diagram with the photos and accounts; review any separate insurer or DMV reporting duty.
Evidence Checklist
- Photos identifying each approach, turn lane, signal or sign, stop line and final vehicle position
- Witness vantage points and contact information, dashcam files and candidate camera custodians
- Investigating agency, report number and any diagram or measurements
- Vehicle damage, treatment records and written insurer positions
Keep your unanswered questions handy when comparing the attorney’s public profile with your needs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Inferring a red light or improper turn solely from the side-impact pattern
- Collecting a witness name without recording what part of the approach that person could see
- Assuming a traffic signal camera recorded or retained this collision
- Treating a preliminary report diagram as the full proof of fault
How the Process Typically Works
Map the approaches
Fix directions, lane positions, controls and the point of impact in a dated scene record.
Test competing accounts
Compare independent observers, camera coverage and the report against each driver’s description.
Review the claim
Address remaining signal or turning disputes alongside injury and insurance documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the driver who struck the side automatically at fault?
No. Right of way depends on the controls, turns, movements and evidence. California DMV explains intersection and turning rules, while Vehicle Code section 21801 addresses left-turn yielding.
Can a report settle a disputed traffic light?
A report is useful but may reflect interviews rather than a direct observation of the signal. Compare the officer’s basis with independent witnesses and any actual recording.
Do I need to identify which agency holds a traffic camera?
Yes. First establish whether a camera covered the relevant approach and who maintains it. A visible camera may monitor traffic without retaining collision footage.
Use the attorney’s public background as a starting point for a direct conversation about fit.
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Attorney Advertising. Hurt Advice is a lawyer-referral and legal-information service, not a law firm. This website provides general information, not legal advice. Viewing a page or submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Independent participating attorneys decide whether to accept a matter, and representation begins only under a separate written agreement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome; results depend on the facts and circumstances of each matter.