With so many drivers and pedestrians sharing the road, collisions can happen in the blink of an eye. Failure to yield accidents in Memphis are some of the most frequent.
Some drivers are inexperienced and unfamiliar with the traffic laws governing the right of way, while others ignore them completely, causing these crashes. In either situation, you could take legal action when you are hurt in a traffic collision after another driver cuts you off or fails to yield. A seasoned car wreck attorney from Reaves Law Firm, PLLC, is prepared to help you navigate the legal process and seek compensation for your damages.
A failure to yield accident occurs when one driver does not comply with the traffic laws that require them to stop or slow down in Memphis. This could mean not stopping at a stop light or sign, failing to slow down at a yield sign, or not stopping at a crosswalk when pedestrians are present. In such situations, pedestrians have the right of way, and if the driver fails to yield or does not stop in time to avoid hitting them, it would be considered a failure to yield collision.
The right of way refers to who, according to traffic laws, should have priority to proceed first in a particular area on the road. For example, pedestrians always have the right of way in a crosswalk, but sometimes people jaywalk and may not be visible to drivers. In addition, at four-way stops, the right of way often alternates, making it challenging to determine who should go first.
When exiting private driveways, drivers should give way to those already on the road and not pull out in front of them. Following a failure to yield collision, a capable Memphis attorney could review the applicable traffic laws to determine which car had the right to proceed and which should have stopped or yielded.
Failure to yield accidents often occur at intersections, where there may be varying perspectives or ambiguities about who had the right of way. For example, when making a turn with a turn signal or when the traffic light is yellow, there may be conflicting reports from drivers about who had the green light. In such situations, without traffic camera footage, it can be challenging for the police or anyone else to determine who had the right of way based on the location of property damage on the cars.
Identifying fault for failure to yield cases in Memphis is complex because it is open to interpretation, and there may be conflicting versions of events.
Insurance companies treat failure to yield collision cases with much greater scrutiny than other types of accidents. For example, in a rear-end crash, if one person is clearly at-fault, insurance companies may not investigate further to determine if additional factors contributed to the accident. However, in failure to yield cases, insurance companies recognize that fault may be more difficult to determine. Therefore, they conduct a more thorough investigation.
They try to gather witness statements, recorded statements from their insurer and the other party involved, and any available traffic camera footage or surveillance footage from nearby businesses. They may also seek the opinion of experts to help establish liability. In addition, insurance companies may seek out witnesses not included in the police report. Thus, it is important for individuals involved in these types of crashes to consult with a knowledgeable failure to yield accident lawyer in Memphis before giving a recorded statement to an insurance company.
Failure to yield accidents in Memphis can be complex and difficult to navigate on your own. Determining fault in these cases requires a thorough investigation and an understanding of the local traffic laws.
A dedicated lawyer from Reaves Law Firm, PLLC, could help you file your claim and collect the evidence necessary to hold the defendant driver financially liable for your losses. Call today to discuss the details of your case with a loyal legal advocate.
