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  • Intersection Crashes Can Be Deadly. How Do They Happen?

    Intersection Crashes Can Be Deadly. How Do They Happen?

    Posted on March 11, 2018 by Neil Durkin Law Offices

    There are many different ways that automobile accidents can happen, including head-on collisions and being rear-ended. One of the most common types of accident, and one that can lead to significant injury, is the intersection crash. Intersection crashes are more commonly known as T-bone accidents, and they happen when one car strikes another at an intersecting road. In most cases, intersection crashes are determined to be caused by drivers who are operating their vehicles aggressively, and in most cases negligently. Let’s look at the most common causes of these potentially deadly accidents.

    • Trying to make the light – In many cases, a driver who is in a rush or who is driving too fast will speed up at the sight of a yellow light instead of slowing down as they are supposed to. Not only is this considered aggressive driving, but it risks several different types of accidents. If there is a driver in front of them who does not also choose to go through the yellow light, there is a risk of a rear-end accident. If the light ends up turning red before they reach the intersection, there is a risk of them hitting a vehicle that rightly entered the intersection upon their light having turned green. They are also at risk for striking a vehicle that had been coming from the opposite direction that had been waiting for a break in oncoming traffic. It is worth noting that the faster the driver is operating their vehicle, the greater the likelihood of catastrophic injuries resulting from a collision.
    • Failure to obey traffic control devices and signs – This can be a matter of simple carelessness, willful disregard, or distracted driving. No matter what the cause, when a person fails to stop for a stop sign or a red light, they risk the lives of the drivers with whom they share the road, as well as pedestrians and cyclists.
    • Failure to yield right of way – In some cases, drivers will not understand the rules of the road or fail to yield the right of way in an intersection, leading to an accident.
    • Poor roadway design – If an intersection is frequently the site of intersection crashes, there may be a design problem that needs to be addressed, or some other failure on the part of the municipality to ensure that it is safe.

    Proving Negligence in an Intersection Crash

    In many cases, the police report will provide almost all of the evidence of negligence that is required in an intersection crash: it is generally clear when a person has failed to obey a traffic signal or a stop sign. Still, additional evidence is always helpful, and may include security cameras from local businesses, eyewitness accounts, cell phone video from witnesses, and traffic light/red light cameras that have been installed on many traffic signals throughout the country.

    If you or someone you love has been injured in an intersection collision, you need an experienced personal injury attorney who can help to identify the cause and hold those who are responsible accountable. Contact us today to learn how we can help.