Where Do California Broadside Collisions Tend to Happen?
When you get T-boned from the side in traffic, it’s known as a broadside collision. There’s a high likelihood you’ll be injured in a severe accident like this.
Broadsides are some of the most damaging crashes on California’s roads, leaving people with severe and life-threatening injuries. Here’s what you need to know about surviving a broadside collision and making smart choices afterward.
What’s a Broadside Collision?
A broadside collision includes any collision that involves a side impact between two vehicles coming from perpendicular or near-perpendicular angles. These collisions go by many names, including T-bone crashes, side-impact collisions, 90-degree crashes, and broadside accidents.
The term “broadside” refers to the fact that one vehicle’s entire side is exposed to the crash and takes a direct hit from the nose of the other vehicle. Broadside crashes put drivers and passengers in extreme danger of bodily injury from the forceful blow of a fast-moving vehicle.
How and Where Do Broadsides Typically Happen?
Intersections are the most common places broadsides happen, with more than two million crashes happening at U.S. intersections every year. Vehicles are barreling along in opposite directions and all it takes is a moment of distraction or misunderstanding for an accident to happen.
California has thousands of dangerous intersections that are especially prone to broadside collisions. One study found that half of all of the state’s most dangerous intersections are located in Los Angeles County, which contributes to the city’s high rate of side-impact collisions.
Of course, broadsides don’t always happen at intersections. They can also take place in parking lots where traffic is traveling at odd angles, at merge points on California highway on/off ramps, and in rural areas where the right-of-way is less clear.
Most Dangerous Intersections for Broadside Collisions in California
Certain intersections in California are known for being especially high-risk for broadside collisions due to heavy traffic, poor visibility, and confusing road layouts. Some of the most dangerous intersections include:
- Balboa Blvd & Nordhoff St, Los Angeles – A busy intersection with frequent accidents due to high-speed traffic and limited visibility.
- Sepulveda Blvd & Ventura Blvd, Los Angeles – A congested intersection notorious for dangerous left-turn accidents.
- Market St & 6th St, San Francisco – A high-traffic downtown intersection where pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles converge.
- El Cajon Blvd & 36th St, San Diego – A problematic intersection with numerous accidents reported each year.
- Florin Rd & Stockton Blvd, Sacramento – Known for heavy traffic and frequent side-impact crashes.
These intersections have become hotspots for broadside collisions due to a combination of factors, including driver distraction, aggressive driving, and inadequate traffic controls. If you regularly travel through these areas, exercise extra caution to avoid becoming a victim of a broadside crash.
What are the Causes of Broadside Collisions?
Most broadside collisions aren’t actually “accidents” but are the result of negligence. Common causes of broadside collisions include:
- Failures to yield
- Speeding
- Not checking blind spots when merging
- Operating while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs
- Distracted driving
Weather can contribute to broadside collisions, like when fog makes it difficult to see traffic coming at you from another direction. However, drivers are expected to take extra caution when weather conditions cause low visibility.
Poorly-marked roads are a problem too. For example, picture an intersection where traffic coming in one direction has a red flashing stoplight, but traffic coming in the other direction has no stoplight. Confusion about who has to stop could lead to a broadside crash.
How Does a Lawyer Help With a Broadside Collision?
Even if your broadside accident seems pretty cut-and-dry, the other side might not agree. Now you’re in a legal battle or fighting an insurance company that doesn’t want to pay up.
Your lawyer can help you place the blame where it belongs and assert your right to demand compensation. Here in California, this right remains in effect even if you’re partially at fault!
The car accident team at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help you do things like:
- Determine who’s involved in your broadside accident
- Make it clear why you’re owed compensation
- Get your medical bills paid
- Seek the costs of car repairs
- Deal with the insurance company
- Negotiate a valuable settlement
- Go to court, if necessary
- Reduce your stress so you can focus on your health
If you were injured in a T-bone crash, let’s talk. Don’t miss your opportunity to get the full and fair compensation that will allow you to move forward from your broadside accident.
We Handle Your Broadside Accident Claim So You Can Focus on Your Life
After an injury, contact the attorneys at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers. We handle many areas of the law, including broadside accidents. We believe you should be able to focus on recovering while we handle the legal details.





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I can't recommend Rebecca at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers more highly. Rebecca is transparent, honest, and client-centered in a way that was completely different from the other firms I considered. Rebecca broke down what can feel like a very opaque process, and helped me understand my options in an approachable way. It was immediately clear that Rebecca's advice and guidance centered around my personal best interest, not what would make her firm the most money. Thanks Rebecca and team!Posted on Yelp![]()
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I unfortunately got injured in an auto accident and called a bunch of different attorneys with little to no help. I called Sally Morin Law and got help from Rebecca who was absolutely fantastic. She was there every step of the way to help and Isn't just trying to make a quick buck. She took her time with me and went out of her way to help out. Thanks for all the help Rebecca!!Posted on Yelp![]()
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Carmen and team at Sally Morin are the best. Having Carmen and her team for my personal injury case is one of the lucky thing for me in 2024 Carmen is a very capable law professional. she is expert in her domain, also she is very skillful in finding the key information. Carmen is also a compassionate and kind person, she listened and also put my interests in priority. At the same time she patiently explained to me the law information. Carmen is also very good with execution, the whole process she is proactively driving it towards the satisfactory result What more can you ask for a lawyer who is capable, professional, kind, effective and efficient.Posted on Yelp![]()
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I was very fortunate, and by pure luck, I found Sally Morin's firm on YELP. The firm wasn't recommended to me by anyone, but I now want to recommend them to EVERYONE, especially my fantastic attorney, Annie Heller. Annie was compassionate, honest, attentive and very responsive to my calls and emails. Throughout the entire process of my claim, I felt completely supported and even after my case successfully settled, she followed up with me. Thank you Annie for your exceptional legal service.Posted on Yelp![]()
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Rebecca and the team at Sally Morin are awesome, plain and simple! Honestly, they were the only legal representation that didn't make me feel slimy after the first conversation. I was thrilled to work with them on my injury case after realizing it was more than I could handle dealing directly with the other party's insurance myself. They advocated for me and my family, going into incredible detail and crafting a great strategy for what to do next. The end result was a pleasant surprise, far exceeding my expectations. Rebecca and the team definitely earn their share by providing amazing value. They're also no-pressure, which was refreshing compared to other lawyers I contacted before choosing Sally Morin. Their priority was making sure I was always informed and knew exactly what was going on, every step of the way. If something happens again, Rebecca and Sally Morin will be my first call--and I'm sure there will be a multitude of emails to follow! :PPosted on Yelp![]()
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Attorneys Annie Levitt Heller and Carmen from Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers are the absolute best! They are dedicated, approachable and thorough in all their work. They provided the best possible outcome for my case (I was a pedestrian hit by a car in a crosswalk) and supportive every step of the way. I would absolutely recommend Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers to anyone Forever grateful to them!Posted on Yelp![]()
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My sister got in a car accident, was hit badly by another driver, became unconscious, and was immediately taken to hospital emergency with an internal brain bleeding thus could not defend herself. As a result, the police report had false information from the other driver and concluded my sister at fault. While other legal firms purposed disappeared after seeing at the police report and other driver's cheap insurance policy (not easy win), Sally Morin team with great heart and "no win, no pay" written clause took on the case and successfully reversed both insurance + police reports and won the case. My family is grateful to find Sally Morin firm and great team with legal expertise, experience, and most important great heart. Thank you very much.Posted on Yelp![]()
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