What Type of Collision Often Results When One Driver Fails to Yield the Right-of-Way to Another?
When one driver does not yield the right-of-way to another driver, it’s known as a failure to yield collision or failure to yield accident. Failure to yield accidents happen far too often. If another driver caused your accident in this way, you have legal options.
Our failure to yield accident lawyers can help you pursue compensation for your accident damages. We know what it takes to win cases. We can get you started with a FREE, no-risk consultation. Call (469) 998-4069 or contact us online to get started today.
Understanding Failure to Yield the Right-of-Way Collisions
Stop signs, yield signs, and other traffic rules dictate when one driver should yield to another. All motorists have a legal duty to drive safely and follow the rules. If one driver does not yield when they should, it can cause a crash.
Often, the accident victim drives into the vehicle that failed to yield. Failure to yield accidents can happen when one driver is:
- Making a left turn
- Entering a street from a home’s driveway
- Merging onto a highway from an on-ramp
- Driving straight pass a yield sign near a highway exit-ramp
- When approaching emergency vehicles
- At a four-way intersection
- Approaching a pedestrian crosswalk
Most of us trust that other people will follow the rules while we’re driving. But if just one motorist does not yield when they are required to, it can cause a severe accident.
If another driver’s failure to yield caused your collision, you have options. You shouldn’t have to pay for the driver’s fault. A failure to yield accident lawyer can help you build and file an insurance claim.
Negligence in Failure to Yield Accidents
When a driver does not act safely on the road, it’s known as negligence. Negligence is the critical element of a personal injury case:
- All drivers owe a duty of care to other drivers.
- If a driver breaches their duty of care, they’ve been negligent (also known as careless).
- When a driver’s negligence causes an accident, they are at-fault for the crash.
- The at-fault driver in the accident is responsible for the damages.
For example, say the other driver failed to yield the right-of-way to you correctly. The driver’s failure to yield caused your accident. As a result, the at-fault driver is liable for your damages.
To seek money to recover your damages, you can bring a personal injury claim. A lawyer can help you file this claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Before you can do that, though, you’ll need to know what damages you have.
Two Types of Failure to Yield Accident Damages
There are two types of compensatory damages in a car accident case:
- Economic damages
- Non-economic damages
Compensatory damages mean losses that can be “made whole” through money. Let’s look at each type of compensatory damage.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are accident losses like:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Physical therapy costs
- Rehabilitation expenses
- Vehicle repairs
You will need to provide proof of your economic damages. Your failure to yield lawyer can help you include this proof in your claim.
Each state has different laws on recovering economic damages. In Texas, medical and healthcare compensation is limited to the monetary amount of damages you suffered (Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 41.0105).
Non-Economic Damages
Unlike economic damages, non-economic damages do not have set dollar amounts. The purpose of non-economic damages is to compensate you for:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Mental or emotional pain or anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Inconvenience
- Loss of consortium or companionship
You might be able to claim loss of consortium or companionship if an accident killed a loved one. Talk to your failure to yield accident lawyer if you’re not sure.
Why Failure to Yield Collisions Happen
Failure to yield collisions occur when one driver fails to yield the right-of-way to another. But why does that happen? Here are some of the most common reasons.
Distracted Drivers
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 2,841 people died because of distracted driving in 2018. That’s not even counting those with serious injuries.
Distracted driving is a huge problem. When a driver’s focus is on something other than the road, they can quickly fail to yield to other drivers. Examples of distracted driving include:
- Texting
- Talking on the phone
- Checking social media or email
- Talking to passengers
- Eating or drinking
- Messing with the radio or GPS
Drunk Drivers
A driver intoxicated on drugs or alcohol is more likely to miss traffic signals or blow through yield signs. Drunk driving is dangerous in every way. Unfortunately, it often causes failure to yield collisions.
Young Drivers
Teenage drivers often cause accidents when they fail to yield the right-of-way. Teens might cause accidents because they are distracted or simply inexperienced.
Protecting Yourself After Another Driver Failed to Yield and Caused Your Accident
After another driver hits you because they failed to yield, don’t admit any blame. Even if you feel you might be partially at fault, talk to a lawyer first. Otherwise, the insurer might use anything you do or say against you.
You can also protect yourself after an accident by:
- Reporting the accident to the police
- Exchanging information with the other driver
- Taking pictures at the scene
- Keeping track of all your damages
- Getting medical treatment right away
- Talking to a failure to yield accident lawyer as soon as possible
Also, be careful if you speak with the other driver’s insurer. It’s best to let your lawyer handle all communication.
Speak with a Failure to Yield Accident Lawyer During a Free Consultation Today
After another driver fails to yield and hits you, we can help. Our Dallas car accident lawyers have helped countless accident victims like yourself. We know what it takes to build and win cases.
Contact us today, and we’ll give you a FREE consultation. We do not charge a fee unless we win you money. No matter where your accident happened, we can connect you with the best lawyer for your needs. Call (469) 998-4069 or contact us online to get started for FREE today.
