Motorists are responsible for understanding and obeying the rules of the road. Failure to follow traffic regulations for any reason can lead to devastating consequences. Failure-to-yield accidents happen when careless drivers disregard traffic rules and recklessly forge ahead when they don’t have the right-of-way.
The failure-to-yield accident lawyers at Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., have fought for car accident victims in Huntsville for decades. You could be eligible to seek valuable compensation if you’ve been hurt in a failure-to-yield collision. Our attorneys have the experience and resources to help you pursue a recovery that covers all your losses.
Contact our Huntsville office today for a free consultation. We want to help you pursue the money you need.
What Is Failing to Yield the Right-of-Way?
Alabama traffic laws outline traffic flow, dictating which motorists have the right to travel in a specific direction at a specific time. Failure to yield the right-of-way occurs when a driver moves into an intersection or into traffic in a way that violates traffic laws. Motorists who fail to yield do not allow the car with the right-of-way to go first.
One of the most common locations where failure-to-yield accidents happen is four-way stops because motorists forget who has the right-of-way when cars approach the four-way stop simultaneously. Some of the most severe failure-to-yield crashes happen when motorists run red lights or stop signs. Left turns into the path of oncoming traffic are also common.
Failure-to-yield collisions can be hazardous because the motorist with the right-of-way cannot anticipate the actions of a careless driver and may be unable to maneuver quickly enough to avoid the crash.
How and Where Do Failure-to-Yield Accidents Happen in Huntsville?
Many failure-to-yield accidents occur because of driver error and distractions. Tasks like texting, making phone calls, eating, and programming a GPS can take a driver’s eyes and mind off the road just long enough to miss a traffic signal or cut off another driver. Sometimes aggressive driving tactics and road rage can also lead to failure-to-yield accidents. Fatigue and drunk driving are also causes of failure-to-yield crashes.
Huntsville failure-to-yield accidents often occur at busy intersections. Data from the Alabama Department of Transportation indicate that as many as 77,223 crashes occur annually at or near intersections, compared to 58,816 accidents at other locations.
Common scenarios that lead to failure-to-yield collisions include:
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Failing to yield the right-of-way at a four-way intersection
- Making left-hand turns into the path of oncoming traffic
- Making right turns on red lights
- Making right-hand turns into the path of bikers or pedestrians
- Pulling out of parking lots or driveways
- Failing to obey traffic signs or signals
- Unsafe merging
Common Causes of Crashes Involving Failure to Yield the Right-of-Way
Inattentive drivers and basic driver errors often cause failure-to-yield accidents.
Some of the most common causes of crashes involving failure to yield the right-of-way include:
- Distracted driving
- Driver intoxication
- Driver fatigue
- Speeding
- Inexperienced drivers
- Failure to obey traffic signs and signals
- Road hazard and debris
- Aggressive driving
- Unsafe lane changes or failure to check blind spots
Determining Fault for a Failure-to-Yield Crash in Huntsville
Determining fault for a failure-to-yield accident isn’t always easy. In the end, proving fault comes down to evidence. You need compelling evidence to establish that another driver was responsible for causing a failure-to-yield crash.
Examples of evidence that may be useful in strengthening your case can include:
- Information from the police report
- Witness statements
- Photographs of the scene
- Dashcam or surveillance videos
- Cellular phone records
- Medical records
Types of Injuries and Potential Compensation After a Crash Involving Failure to Yield
Failure-to-yield collisions can cause devastating physical injuries and sometimes permanent medical complications.
Some of the most common injuries suffered in failure-to-yield accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Whiplash
- Paralysis
- Facial injuries
- Broken bones
- Internal injuries and bleeding
- Soft tissue damage
- Lacerations
- Contusions
The severity of your injuries and the circumstances of the accident often impact the overall value of your claim. Our experienced failure-to-yield attorneys have the knowledge and resources to estimate the value of your financial losses accurately.
Although each failure-to-yield case is unique, many injured individuals can seek compensation for losses like the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
Do not accept a settlement offer from an insurer until you’ve consulted with our Huntsville failure-to-yield lawyers. Insurance adjusters often make lowball offers, hoping injury victims will accept immediately, saving the company time and money.
Statistics on Failure to Yield Accidents in Huntsville
Statistics from the Alabama Department of Transportation indicate that one person in Alabama is injured in a traffic crash every 13 minutes and 50 seconds, and there is one traffic fatality every nine hours and 20 minutes.
Failure to yield the right-of-way contributed to over 20,000 crashes and 88 fatal crashes on Alabama roadways in a single recent year. It is one of the leading causes of all crashes recorded in the state.
Additional Factors in Alabama Car Accidents
The question of who was at fault in causing the accident is even more important in Alabama than in most other states. This is because Alabama is one of only a handful of states that is what lawyers call a “pure contributory negligence state.”
Each state has its own laws regarding contributory or comparative negligence. In most states, the fault is apportioned: If the driver of Car B is 75% at fault, the injured driver of Car A is 25% at fault, and Car A’s driver brings a claim and is determined to have $100,000 worth of lost wages, pain and suffering, medical bills, and other damages, then Car A’s driver will ultimately get $75,000—75% of $100,000.
In Alabama, though, Car A’s driver will get nothing. Even if Car A’s driver is only 1% at fault in causing the accident, he will get nothing. Any negligence by Car A’s driver that contributes to causing the crash, in other words, will preclude him from any compensation.
If Car A’s driver is to get any compensation, it is critically important that he not be found to have any fault at all. If you have any questions about contributory negligence, please do not hesitate to contact our law firm.
What Determines Which Car is Supposed to Go First?
That depends on the situation, of course, and failure-to-yield accidents can occur in many ways. Right-of-way is determined by each state’s laws, and most states have adopted variations of a set of statutes called the “Rules of the Road.”
The following scenarios are based on Alabama law:
- At an intersection with stoplights, a car at a green light goes, while a car at a red light stops. If Car B, with the red light, goes on through the intersection in front of Car A, which has a green light, Car B’s driver has failed to yield the right-of-way to Car A.
- Suppose Car B has a green light, and so do cars traveling in the opposite direction. Car B is allowed to turn left, but its driver must let oncoming traffic go through the intersection first. Only if the oncoming traffic is far enough away that Car B can safely turn left without impeding them is it allowed to do so.
- At an intersection with stop signs in the north-south lanes and no traffic control devices in the east-west lanes, vehicles traveling east or west have precedence over those traveling north or south. If Car B is heading north and fails to stop at the intersection, Car B’s driver has failed to yield the right-of-way to cars going east and west.
- At an intersection with no traffic control devices in either direction, the first car to arrive goes first. If two cars arrive at the same time, the car on the right goes first. If these rules are not followed, there is a failure to yield.
- When a driver is merging onto a highway, the cars already on the highway have the right-of-way. If Car B moves onto the highway when there is not enough time and space to do so, its driver has failed to yield.
- Similarly, a car entering a roundabout must yield to vehicles already in the roundabout.
- Cars facing flashing yellow traffic lights must yield to other traffic.
- A car pulling into a street from a private driveway must yield the right-of-way to vehicles already on the street. If Car B backs down a driveway into the street in front of Car A, this is a failure to yield.
How Our Huntsville Lawyers Can Help You
Handling a car accident claim alone can be challenging. You should not have to sweat the legal details while healing from injuries. Having our Huntsville automobile accident lawyers on your side could significantly increase your chances of recovering maximum compensation for your losses.
At Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., our experienced legal team provides personalized service to every client. We are ready to review the facts of your case, outline your legal options, and work with you to pursue the money you need for your recovery. Our skilled attorneys can communicate with insurance companies to seek a fair settlement for you.
Our Huntsville lawyers can help you by:
- Investigating the cause of the failure-to-yield crash
- Collecting and preserving crucial evidence to support your claim
- Identifying all potentially liable parties
- Filing all necessary claim paperwork
- Managing communication with other parties
- Meeting legal deadlines
- Negotiating for fair compensation
- Preparing a case for court when necessary
Contact Our Failure-to-Yield Accident Lawyers for Help Today
If a failure-to-yield accident wasn’t your fault, why should you bear the heavy financial burden of your injuries? Hire our skilled Huntsville failure-to-yield lawyers to pursue maximum compensation for your losses. At Morris, King & Hodge, P.C., our failure-to-yield car accident lawyers know how to build a solid claim to help you seek the maximum compensation you deserve.
If the actions of a careless driver have hurt you, discuss your claim with our legal team today. Contact our Huntsville office to arrange a free consultation to learn more about your rights.
