Car AccidentsCar accidents regularly cause severe injuries and deaths in Texas. In 2020 alone, there were 12,107 serious injury crashes in Texas, with 14,656 people sustaining severe injuries.
Yellow lights create a risk to drivers, and liability may be split in a resulting yellow light accident. Determining fault is vital to recovering compensation after an accident, but it may be difficult to establish.
This is why it’s prudent to contact a personal injury attorney to assist you if you were involved in a yellow light accident. They will be able to help you negotiate this tricky area of the law.
Common Causes of Yellow Light Accidents
Intersections are dangerous. While a traffic accident may occur for many reasons, most accidents in intersections result from negligent driving behavior—including running a yellow light.
A range of scenarios may result in a yellow light accident, including:
- Dangerous left turns—Drivers making a left turn on a yellow light may cause an accident. Drivers often incorrectly assume that oncoming traffic will stop when the light turns yellow.
- Speeding up—Drivers often speed up through a yellow light. At the same time, a driver may hit the gas immediately upon a light turning green without first waiting to check for cross-traffic. This scenario may result in liability being split on a yellow light accident.
- Inattention—Failing to pay attention when a light changes from green to yellow may result in a driver failing to stop before the light turns red.
When investigating a car accident, the parties may argue about who is responsible. Perhaps both drivers engaged in negligent behavior leading to the accident.
Your personal injury attorney carefully analyzes the available evidence to develop a strong case on your behalf.
What are the Rules at a Yellow Light?
It’s essential to understand the traffic laws that dictate the rules regarding a yellow light in traffic.
The Texas Transportation Code Section 544.007 states that a driver facing a steady yellow signal must take it to mean that a red signal is about to happen and the green signal has ended.
The purpose of the yellow light is to provide time for drivers to stop before the light turns red. Since a driver must stop at a red light, the yellow light allows drivers to stop before the red light appears.
Unfortunately, most drivers use the yellow light as an opportunity to speed up and cross an intersection before the light turns red. It is through this conduct that most yellow light accidents occur.
Determining Fault
After a yellow light accident, determining fault is complex. For example, in cases of a driver making a left turn resulting in a yellow light accident, it’s important to understand Texas traffic laws.
Oncoming traffic holds the right of way during a yellow light. Therefore, the driver turning left on a yellow light must ensure enough time to safely make a left turn before the light turns red.
Comparative Negligence
There may be situations where both drivers share fault for causing an accident. In these situations, a driver’s partial responsibility for their accident results in a reduction of damages available to that driver.
However, a determination of being 51% or more fault for your crash prohibits you from recovering any compensation.
This is an area a personal injury attorney with experience in yellow light accidents can really help your case. You want to make sure that as little fault as possible is assigned to you. And your lawyer will help you do just that.
Contact Us with Your Yellow Light Accident Questions
Understanding your rights after a yellow light accident requires the assistance of a qualified personal injury attorney.
The Zimmerman Law Firm, P.C. has been fighting for the rights of Central Texans since 1962. Our team of lawyers dedicates its time to maximize your compensation after a car accident.
With over 85 years of combined legal experience, there is no case we can’t handle. Contact our team today for a free consultation.
Michael Zimmerman
Michael was born in Houston, Texas. His education at Baylor and Texas State Universities earned him a Bachelor of Science degree in 1987. His major was in Biology with a Minor in Chemistry. He finished his legal education at Texas Southern University in 1990, earning a Juris Doctorate from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. He was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1990.
Rate this Post
Loading...