Failure to Yield Car Accidents in Houston
Right of way laws are designed specifically to prevent collisions when drivers need to share the same space with others. So, it’s no surprise that drivers failing to yield when they’re supposed to is one of the most common causes of car accidents in Houston and across Texas.
Failure to yield accidents frequently cause painful, long-lasting injuries. Crash victims may also face daunting medical bills at the same time that they’re unable to work.
The Callahan Law Firm can help you pursue fair compensation if you’ve been involved in a Houston failure to yield accident. Our failure to yield accident attorneys have more than 25 years of experience and have recovered significant awards for our clients. We know the kind of damage a failure to yield accident can cause, and we will work tirelessly to maximize your financial recovery.
Contact our Houston office today for a free and confidential claim review.
What Is the Right of Way?
The right of way is a driver’s right to go first or proceed in their current direction when two or more cars could occupy the same space on the road. Texas traffic laws outline which vehicles have the right of way and who should yield in different circumstances to avoid confusion and promote safety.
If you have the right of way, that means you should be allowed to proceed, and other drivers should yield to you.
What Is Failure to Yield?
A failure to yield accident occurs when a driver who should yield the right of way to another vehicle doesn’t yield. When drivers fail to yield to vehicles that have the right of way, oftentimes accidents occur. Failure to yield accidents can be especially damaging because they often happen at high speeds or in heavy traffic.
Failure to Yield Accident Statistics in Houston
Here are a few key statistics about failure to yield accidents from the Texas Department of Transportation:
- In one recent year, 124 fatal accidents happened when drivers failed to yield at a stop sign, along with 562 crashes with suspected serious injuries.
- State data shows 18 fatal crashes in which drivers failed to yield the right of way at a yield sign. In addition, suspected serious injuries occurred under similar circumstances in 65 crashes.
- While no fatal crashes involved drivers failing to yield while turning right on red, 28 such crashes resulted in suspected serious injuries.
- A total of 103 crashes involving drivers who failed to yield when turning left resulted in at least one fatality and 705 failure to yield left-turn crashes led to suspected serious injuries.
Types of Failure to Yield Accidents
Some of the most common types of failure to yield accidents in Houston include:
- Left turns – Drivers making unprotected left turns may fail to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic and cause a crash. Alternatively, drivers making protected left turn sometimes collide with oncoming traffic that should yield the right of way.
- Right turns on red – Drivers who want to turn right on red must come to a complete stop and check for oncoming traffic before making the turn. Drivers turning right on red should always yield to oncoming traffic to avoid the risk of causing a crash.
- Stop signs, yield signs, and traffic lights – Ignoring stop signs, yield signs, and traffic lights frequently put drivers who should have yielded the right of way into the path of other traffic.
- Bicycles and pedestrians – Drivers should always yield to bicyclists and pedestrians crossing the street. They should slow down when approaching intersections or crosswalks and avoid running into a pedestrian or cyclist.
- Parking lots and driveways – Drivers exiting parking lots and driveways must yield the right of way to oncoming traffic. If a driver exiting a driveway or parking lot ignores other drivers’ right of way, they can end up colliding with oncoming cars.
- Three-way and four-way stop signs – If two or more vehicles approach a three-way or four-way stop sign simultaneously, drivers should yield the right of way to vehicles on their right. That ensures that everyone can proceed safely, but many drivers are unaware of or ignore right of way rules at stop signs.
- Merging – It can be difficult to determine fault in merging accidents, as the right of way rules are tricky. The drivers trying to merge should yield to drivers already in the lane they’re trying to enter. However, other drivers should also make an effort to let other vehicles merge safely. A car accident lawyer can help you figure out who should have yielded the right of way in a merging accident.
- Emergency vehicles – Texas’ Move Over Law requires drivers to move over one lane or substantially reduce their speed when approaching emergency vehicles parked on the side of the road with flashing lights. Emergency responders can be vulnerable to accidents if other drivers aren’t careful.
Causes of Failure to Yield Accidents in Houston
Some of the common causes of failure to yield accidents in Houston are:
- Impaired driving
- Distracted driving
- Being unaware of or ignoring traffic laws
- Driver fatigue
- Speeding
- Reckless or aggressive driving
Liability in Failure to Yield Accidents
To hold someone liable for your injuries in a failure to yield accident, you’ll need to demonstrate that their negligent actions are what caused the crash and led to your injuries. In a personal injury case, negligence means that someone injured you when they had a duty to use reasonable precautions to keep you safe.
Drivers who fail to yield the right of way when required are breaking state and local traffic laws. This fact, coupled with other evidence, can be used as evidence that the driver was negligent.
Some of the evidence that’s commonly used in failure to yield accident cases include:
- Information from police accident reports
- Photos or videos from the accident scene
- Medical records
- Eyewitness accounts
- Testimony from expert witnesses and forensic accident investigators
- Statements from the drivers involved in the crash
A Houston failure to yield accident lawyer can help you build a strong case for liability and seek maximum compensation for your injuries.
Contact Our Failure to Yield Accident Attorney in Houston Today
The Callahan Law Firm is prepared to stand up for the rights of failure to yield accident victims in Houston. We care about our clients, and we leverage our resources and years of legal experience to help injured individuals pursue the positive outcomes they need.
For more information on our services, get your free initial consultation today.
