What Causes Failure to Yield Accidents?
While speeding, inattentiveness, alcohol impairment and numerous other issues can lead to failure-to-yield accidents, an increasingly-common factor in these dangerous collisions is distracted driving. If a driver is talking on the phone, texting, taking selfies or using social media, this means that he or she is not paying attention to the road. When investigating a failure-to-yield accident, if it appears that the at-fault driver may have been distracted at the time of the crash, we can request phone records and search his or her social media accounts to find evidence that supports your claim for compensation.
Common Injuries in Denver Failure to Yield Auto Accidents
Whether they occur at traffic signals, stop signs, yield signs or in highway merge lanes, failure-to-yield accidents tend to involve vehicles that are traveling at a high rate of speed. As a result, they typically produce serious injuries, which often require surgery and long-term treatment or recovery. This includes injuries such as:
- Bone fractures
- Burns
- Brain injuries
- Loss of limbs
- Neck injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
When we take your case, one of the top priorities will be to make sure that you receive the compensation you need not only for your current medical bills but for your future medical bills as well. We can also seek compensation for your future loss of income (if you need to change jobs or are unable to return to work), pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and other anticipated losses.
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Rules for Yielding in Colorado
Traffic lights make it easy for drivers, bike riders, pedestrians and others to know when it is their time to move in traffic. So, what happens in situations where there are no lights? That is where right-of-way laws come in. It is imperative that you understand right-of-way and yielding requirements before you hit the road.
In Colorado, right-of-way laws apply to all vehicles on a roadway, including cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and bicycles. A person who fails to comply with these laws can be ticketed, fined and assessed points on his or her driver’s license. The person is also likely to be considered legally liable for any accidents that happen as a result.
Pedestrians Have the Right-of-Way, For the Most Part
Pedestrians generally have the right of way when it comes to crosswalks, but the specifics depend on the situation.
If there is no signal or the traffic lights are not functioning, drivers must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in the crosswalk if the pedestrian is on the same side of the roadway as the driver or close to it. Pedestrians cannot, however, dart into crosswalks in the middle of oncoming traffic. If a driver has stopped to yield the right-of-way to a crossing pedestrian, vehicles behind it cannot pass the stopped vehicle.
Where pedestrian crossing signals are in place, pedestrians have the right-of-way during the “Walk” signal. So do those who are in the crosswalk when the “Don’t Walk” signal is flashing. However, drivers have the right of way when the “Don’t Walk” signal is solid.
Rules Regarding Intersections
The general rule for intersections is that the first car to arrive has the right-of-way, followed by the vehicles to the right of the car. This is true whether it is a four-way stop, a traffic circle, a T-junction, or a Y-junction.
Intersections can be tricky when there is no traffic signal and two vehicles arrive at roughly the same time. However, the driver to the left must yield the right-of-way to the driver on the right.
Merging Into Traffic
When merging onto a busy highway, the rule is simple: Oncoming traffic already on the highway has the right-of-way over merging vehicles. Therefore, if you are merging, you should not enter the highway if it means oncoming traffic will have to slow down or stop for you to do so.
Emergency and Road Maintenance Vehicles
Emergency vehicles using their sirens or flashing their lights have the right-of-way over all other traffic, regardless of whether the vehicle is traveling in congested street traffic, merging onto a highway or entering an intersection.
Drivers should pull over to the side of the road and allow the emergency vehicle to pass before proceeding. If you are in an intersection, proceed until you have left the intersection and then pull over.
Road maintenance vehicles also have the right-of-way in Colorado when they are flashing their lights. It is particularly important to give these vehicles a wide berth in snow and other harsh weather conditions when visibility is low.
Contact a Denver Failure to Yield Accident Attorney for a Free Consultation
After any type of accident, it is important to speak with an attorney as soon as possible. We are available 24/7, and with four convenient office locations, we represent crash victims throughout the greater Denver area. To get the help you need to maximize your financial recovery, call 303-333-8000 or contact us online and schedule your free initial consultation today.
