Drivers who fail to yield to oncoming traffic can cause serious accidents. These crashes can result in vehicle damage, severe injuries, and long-term costs for the injured party.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash caused by another driver’s failure to yield, reach out to a knowledgeable vehicle collision attorney. A Boulder failure to yield accident lawyer could assess your case, gather evidence, and act as your legal advocate to ensure that you receive fair compensation for your injuries.
Under state law, drivers are required to yield the right of way in several circumstances. Drivers must not enter an intersection at a red light and must also stop at a stop sign and check for oncoming traffic. Additionally, motorists turning left without a green light turn signal must yield the right of way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction.
Drivers must also yield to any pedestrian in a crosswalk. Anyone who has been struck by a vehicle despite having the right of way should consult a skilled lawyer in the area.
Many failure to yield collisions occur in intersections where drivers are not paying attention. Boulder is a university town, so there are often many students and bikes on the road.
It is not uncommon for bicyclists to speed through an intersection at a green light, or for cars to drive through a yellow light that turns red. Distraction or intoxication can also cause a driver to run a red light or a stop sign. A skilled lawyer could gather evidence and determine the cause of a failure to yield collision.
If a driver has been involved in an accident due to someone else’s failure to yield, they should call the police and seek immediate medical attention. A medical professional can treat and document injuries, while a police officer can assess the scene of the accident and create an official statement.
The next step should be contacting a lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney could investigate the crash, call witnesses and obtain any camera footage or other evidence. A lawyer that is well-versed in failure to yield accidents could then use this evidence to identify the liable party and pursue a damages award that properly accounts for the nature of the accident and the severity of injuries sustained.
Proving fault in a right of way collision can be complicated. Sometimes both drivers claim that they had the right of way, so it is important to obtain witness testimonies whenever possible. Camera footage and information about the light sequencing in the area can also be useful in identifying the at-fault party.
There are also cases in which both parties share fault in the incident. For example, if a pedestrian ran out into the street and gave the driver no time to stop, comparative negligence laws may come into play.
Boulder is a comparative negligence jurisdiction. This means that a plaintiff who plays some part in causing an accident to occur will not be able to recover the entire possible damages amount for injuries sustained as a result. The percentage of fault that the injured party is found to have in the wreck will consequently decrease their possible compensation by that same percentage.
Insurance companies may try to place blame on the plaintiff in order to reduce the payout amount that they owe. It is critical that someone injured in a failure to yield wreck reaches out to an attorney as soon as possible to avoid complications with an insurance company. A lawyer in Boulder could work to establish liability in a failure to yield crash and leverage with insurance adjusters to ensure that the plaintiff is treated fairly.
If you were injured in a wreck caused by someone else’s failure to yield, you could be eligible for compensation for medical bills, lost wages, damage to your vehicle, and more. A Boulder failure to yield accident lawyer could assess your case, determine the liable party, and pursue a damages award on your behalf. Call us today to learn more.
