Failure to Yield
If you have been involved in a car, truck, pedestrian, or motorcycle accident in Fort Lauderdale, one of the most important things to determine as soon as possible is who was at fault for the collision. If you were the victim of a car accident that someone else caused, then you may be able to collect more compensation for your injuries than the insurance company will initially offer. One way that an accident can be caused is the failure to yield — an instance when a driver ignores posted stop or yield signs and instead proceeds through the intersection, with a merge, or any other situation that requires a yield to oncoming traffic.
If you are in talks with an insurance company at this moment, make sure that you DO NOT accept any offer that they make you. Contact us as soon as possible to discuss your options, and what your case will look like with the help of the team at Friedland & Associates. We will deal directly with the insurance company for you through a series of negotiations where we will attempt to come to an agreement on the true amount you are owed. If we are unable to reach an out-of-court settlement, then we will pursue the amount in civil court as a personal injury lawsuit. Schedule your free initial consultation now to learn about your legal rights regarding your case, and learn more about failure to yield accidents below.
What is Failure To Yield?
According to the Florida Statutes, failure to yield is a driver’s failure to follow posted road signs that require that they either come to a stop or that they yield to oncoming traffic. This can happen at a rotary, an intersection, a crosswalk, or any other area where there is a sign present telling them to give yield.
The only instance that these signs can be ignored is if there is a police officer present who is giving the driver active instructions that are contrary to the signs. This can be the case during a lane closure, after an accident, during road construction, or any other situation that requires an officer of the law to give alternate traffic instructions.
What Are The Risks of Failing To Yield?
If a driver fails to yield, then they put themselves, other drivers, and pedestrians at risk for an accident and serious injury. If a driver were to ignore a crosswalk while pedestrians were crossing it, then they could injure, or even kill, the people crossing the street. Similarly, when coming through an intersection with a stop sign, they risk a side crash, otherwise known as a broadside collision, or a t-bone collision.
When two vehicles are in a broadside collision, there is a serious risk to everyone involved. The people who are on the colliding side of the vehicle are at risk for impact injuries, as well as broken glass, debris, or any other hazards that could result from being the closest to the impact. If the people were to have their arms out the window on the impact side, they could risk severe injury or the loss of the limb.
What To Do If You Think Your Accident Was the Result of a Failure to Yield
If you have been in an accident and suspect that it was caused because the other driver failed to yield, it is important that you file a police report, get eyewitness accounts, and bring a map of the surrounding roads to your meeting with your attorney. We will walk through the steps of the accident, and attempt to determine how it was caused if it had not already been determined by an attending police officer. Your police report, as well as any additional accounts of the accident, will be very important to proving this point if there are any questions of what actually happened.
Contact Us Today
During your free initial consultation, you will be able to discuss your accident with a professional car accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, and determine the appropriate course of action to ensure that you are treated fairly by the insurance company. We look forward to working with you, and getting you the money you deserve for your injuries.
