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Car accidents are often caused by drivers failing to stop or yield. Failing to stop at an intersection or failing to yield when merging onto highways or in other situations is dangerous and may lead to accidents causing serious or life-threatening injuries or even death.

If you or a loved one has been injured because of another driver failing to stop or yield, you should contact an experienced car accident lawyer from Zinda Law Group at (800) 863-5312 today for a free consultation. If we are not able to win your case, you will not owe us anything.

CAR ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY FAILURE TO STOP OR YIELD

One of the most common causes of vehicle accidents is when a driver fails to yield to other vehicles or pedestrians. The following are some of the most common scenarios in which a failure to yield may result in an accident:

• A driver fails to yield at a traffic light or stop sign
• A driver fails to yield to pedestrians
• A driver fails to yield for an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance or fire truck
• A driver fails to yield to another vehicle when merging or changing into another lane
• A driver fails to yield to oncoming traffic when making a left turn, particularly at a green traffic light
• A driver fails to yield to another vehicle when driving out of a driveway or a parking spot
  

HOW OFTEN DO FAILURE TO STOP CAR ACCIDENTS HAPPEN? 

Intersections are one of the most common places for an accident to occur, as drivers may fail to stop for the stop sign or red light. Due to the dangerous nature of intersections as a result of multiple vehicles coming from different directions and meeting, a failure of a vehicle to stop at the intersection may often result in an accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, failing to yield the right of way is one of the top five reported driving behaviors for drivers involved in fatal car accidents. In 2018, about 3,579 fatal car accidents, or about 7% of all fatal accidents, were caused by drivers who failed to yield or stop.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), running red lights is common and can be very deadly. For example, an IIHS study showed that about 846 people were killed in 2018 as a result of car crashes that involved a driver running a red light. Meanwhile, the same study from IIHS indicated that almost 140,000 people were injured in car crashes caused by a driver failing to stop or running a red light in 2018.

Meanwhile, while about 85% of drivers acknowledge the danger of running a red light, almost a third of drivers reported having run a red light within the previous 30 days, according to a 2019 study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Furthermore, the study indicated that drivers who run a red light and collide with another vehicle are often much more likely to be male, to be younger, and to have had prior vehicle crashes or DUI convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Finally, drivers who ran red lights were more likely to have been speeding or driving while intoxicated at the time of the accident after the driver ran the red light.

Read More: DWI Accident Lawyers 

WHY DO DRIVERS FAIL TO STOP?

There are several contributing factors that may cause a driver to fail to yield the right of way to another driver or fail to stop, such as:

1. The Driver is Intoxicated

Intoxication from drugs and alcohol can cause impaired vision, decreased reaction time, and impaired cognitive and motor function. If the driver is under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, he or she may be too intoxicated to notice a stop sign, red light, another vehicle, or a pedestrian. With decreased reaction time, the driver may notice that he or she must yield but come to a stop too slowly, resulting in an accident.

2. The Driver is Distracted

Driving inattentively is extremely hazardous to both the driver and others on the road. If a driver is distracted by the use of a cell phone or other device while driving or if his or her attention is directed toward something other than driving, he or she may not notice a stop sign or red light, a pedestrian, or an oncoming vehicle. It is extremely important for drivers to devote their full attention to the road. Failing to do so significantly increases the risk of an accident occurring.  If a collision occurs as a result of a distracted driver’s negligence, he or she may be held liable for any damages.

3. The Vehicle Malfunctions

The driver or owner of a vehicle is responsible for properly maintaining it. Broken tail lights, faulty brakes, and motor issues can be extremely dangerous if they go unrepaired. If a vehicle’s brakes do not work properly, the driver may not be able to yield when necessary. If the vehicle requires repairs and the driver fails to have them fixed, which leads to a failure to stop accidents, he or she may be held liable for any damages.

4. The Driver is Inexperienced

Teenagers and other new drivers often make mistakes on the road. It is common for an inexperienced driver to not have a thorough understanding of right-of-way laws or when to yield, particularly at intersections. They may proceed through an intersection or make a turn at an inappropriate time because they do not know how to determine when their turn is.

DISTRACTED DRIVING

Drivers may fail to stop or yield the right of way for a variety of reasons, such as failing to see the stop sign. However, one of the most common causes for failing to stop or yield is distracted driving. Drivers may become distracted in many ways, such as talking or texting on the phone, eating, adjusting the radio, talking to a passenger in the vehicle, putting on makeup, or various other reasons. When a distracted driver reaches an intersection, the driver may fail to notice a stop sign or fail to notice that the traffic light is red. As a result, the distracted driver may rear-end a vehicle that is stopped or may run the red light, colliding with a vehicle coming through the intersection. Distracted drivers may also fail to yield to pedestrians crossing in a crosswalk or stop for emergency vehicles.

LIABILITY FOR INJURIES CAUSED BY A FAILURE TO STOP OR YIELD

Failure to yield accidents or failure to stop accidents are often caused by a driver’s negligence. If you were in an accident due to another driver failing to stop, you may be able to seek compensation from the responsible party. If the other driver caused the collision by being distracted or otherwise negligent, you must generally prove that he or she failed to use reasonable care. If you sustained injuries in your accident, the responsible party will likely be held liable for your injuries as well as other damages. You also may be able to seek compensation for future medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you lost a loved one in an accident because the other driver failed to stop, you may be able to receive wrongful death damages.

Typically, you will need to prove the four elements of negligence to hold the other driver liable for an accident caused by failing to stop or failing to yield the right of way. These elements are:

1. Duty of Care

Your lawyer will need to prove that the other driver owed a duty of care to you, such as the duty to exercise reasonable care to avoid causing an accident.

2. Breach of Duty

If the other driver owed you a duty of care, you must also prove that the driver breached this duty of care, such as through negligent behavior. Your lawyer may use evidence to prove the other driver failed to stop at a red light or stop sign or failed to yield the right of way, such as when merging onto a freeway.

3. Causation

Even if you are able to show that the other driver owed you a duty of care and that the driver breached this duty, you will also still have to prove that this breach of duty actually caused the accident that led to your injuries.

4. Damages

Finally, you will have to prove that you actually suffered injuries or damages in the accident. The damages requirement may be satisfied by physical injuries, medical expenses, property damage to your vehicle, and other recognized damages. Further, if your loved one was killed in the accident, their death may satisfy the damages requirement.

GET HELP FROM OUR CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS TODAY

If you have been injured in an accident caused by the other driver failing to yield the right of way or failing to stop, you should immediately contact an experienced car accident attorney as soon as possible.  The experienced team at Zinda Law Group may help you seek any compensation you may be entitled to as a result of your accident. Our attorneys may help you thoroughly investigate your accident to gather as much evidence as possible to support your claim. Your lawyer may handle your case while allowing you to focus on recovering from your injuries. In many cases, your attorney may negotiate with the insurance company to reach an acceptable settlement and avoid having to take your case to trial.  Insurers often have teams of lawyers to help them avoid paying compensation to victims whenever possible. By hiring an experienced lawyer, you may be able to level the playing field with the insurer.

CALL THE CAR ACCIDENT INJURY ATTORNEYS AT ZINDA LAW GROUP TODAY

At Zinda Law Group, our personal injury attorneys may be able to help you if you have been injured because another driver failed to yield or stop. Our team has years of experience helping our clients seek the maximum compensation they may be entitled to after they or a loved one has been injured in a car accident.

Call (800) 863-5312 today for a free consultation with one of our experienced car accident lawyers. You will not pay anything unless we can win your case. That’s our No Win, No Fee Guarantee.