Many accidents occur each year in Austin because drivers fail to yield as required by law when entering intersections or merging onto roads or highways. Failure to yield car accidents in Austin can result in significant personal injuries and even lead to roadway fatalities.
If you suffered injuries because another driver failed to yield your right of way, you might be facing a grueling physical and emotional recovery, significant medical bills, and lost wages. An Austin car accident lawyer could explain your legal rights and options and assist you with filing a civil lawsuit against the driver who made that mistake.
An Overview of the Failure to Yield Laws
Texas, like many other states, has certain statutes that dictate how riders treading on the road shall behave and drive. For your information, here are the regulations Austin failure to yield accident attorneys commonly cite when representing victims in or out of the court.
- Texas Transportation Code §545.151: This code mandates that drivers stop and yield at intersections. As intersections commonly have stop signs, yield signs, or no signals, the drivers must check and see if other vehicles are approaching and yield if they are coming close.
- Texas Transportation Code §545.153: Another common rule Austin failure to yield accident lawyers will cite, this one talks about a driver’s obligations when approaching intersections, which are controlled by stop or yield signs. They need to yield to vehicles already in the intersection or approaching closely.
- Texas Transportation Code §545.155: Requires drivers entering a highway from a private road or driveway to yield the right-of-way to approaching vehicles.
What Situations Commonly Lead to Failure to Yield Accidents?
When two cars arrive at an intersection, one of those cars must yield to the other, otherwise a collision could occur. Texas law requires all drivers to obey the rules of the road, including all traffic signals and signs.
Yield signs tell people on the road which driver has the right of way to merge or enter an intersection first. Even when there are no actual yield signs, Texas law requires drivers to yield as appropriate for each situation. For example, when four cars arrive at an intersection with four stop signs, the vehicle that arrives first has the right of way to go first.
Housing an experienced team of failure to yield accident attorneys in Austin, we have obtained rightful compensation in such incidents. Here are some common situations that lead to failure to yield accidents in Austin;
- Left Turns at Intersections: It can be an honest mistake of misjudging the speed or distance of oncoming vehicles, which can lead to collisions.
- Merging onto Highways: Vehicles are commonly going at high speeds where highways merge, and one of the oncoming vehicles has to yield to avoid an accident.
- Uncontrolled Intersections: You will see several intersections in Austin without traffic signals or signs. At these junctures, the drivers must be smart enough to understand the situation and know when to yield appropriately.
- Pedestrian Crosswalks: Pedestrians are as much at risk of getting into accidents as other vehicles. DJC Law’s failure to yield attorneys in Austin has represented pedestrians getting hit by vehicles at marked or unmarked crosswalks, and some of them have sustained serious injuries.
In Austin, failure to yield collisions commonly occur when a driver:
- Fails to yield before entering onto a highway
- Turns left at an intersection without yielding
- Fails to yield to cross traffic at three and four way stops and intersections
- Does not yield to an emergency vehicle, such as a fire truck, ambulance, or police car
- Fails to yield to a bicycle or pedestrian
- Does not yield to existing traffic at a roundabout or when exiting a parking lot or driveway
Austin drivers are required to yield in the appropriate circumstances unless a police officer directing traffic tells a driver not to. A local attorney could review the facts of a claimant's case to see if another driver committed a traffic violation that could make them civilly liable for subsequent injuries and losses.
Investigating Failure to Yield Collisions
One of the most significant steps of the failure to yield claims process is assessing the details of an accident to demonstrate that another driver was responsible. Investigations are best handled with the assistance of a diligent legal representative who could work hard to protect a claimant’s integrity.
When investigating an accident, a legal advocate might begin by reading through the relevant police report to gain a basic understanding of what happened. Afterwards, an attorney could interview witnesses, review available security footage, or speak with medical professionals to establish the scope of a plaintiff’s injuries. Evaluating the collision scene is also a great option since something like skid marks could help paint a clear picture of who failed to yield.
Regardless of the investigation method, a lawyer could fight tirelessly to help prove that the negligent actions of another motorist caused a failure to yield wreck in Austin.
Penalties for Violating Failure to Yield Rules
As much as we want the citizens of our amazing city to be safe, we also want them to be aware of the penalties for not following the laws. In Texas, those found guilty of failure to yield can face these consequences;
- Fines and Points: Every driver's license holder in Texas is assessed from their driving skills and ability to follow rules. Causing an accident means the driver violated these rules, which leads to fines and points on a driver's license. These points and fines accumulate over time, and due to this the driver’s insurance rates climb up, potentially leading to increased insurance rates.
- Criminal Charges: In accidents leading to serious injury or death, the drivers also face criminal charges, like criminally negligent homicide.
At DJC Law, we believe in getting justice for failure to yield to accident victims. We have the best team of failure to yield accident attorneys in Austin and will help you not only find justice but also a fair compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company, the State, or any other liable party.
Comparative Fault in Austin Car Accidents
Texas is an at-fault state, meaning an injured claimant can collect damages from the at-fault driver's insurance company or file a civil claim against the at-fault driver. According to Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §33.001, local courts operate with a modified comparative negligence standard, which allows partially responsible claimants to recover damages from the other driver as long as they are less than 50 percent at fault for the accident.
If a claimant bears partial responsibility for the severity of a failure to yield accident, a court would reduce their recoverable damages by their assigned percentage of fault. A seasoned local attorney could explain how the comparative fault system works and help a claimant pursue damages from the people responsible for failing to yield.
What to Do When Involved in a Failure to Yield Accident?
It’s not an ideal situation to be in, but if you are involved in an accident or are a witness to this situation, do the following for the safety of the victims and to help us collect enough evidence.
- Ensure the safety of anyone getting hit and call emergency services. Seek medical attention for the injured.
- Document the scene, or simply gather evidence by clicking photographs, taking videos, and recording your statement with the police.
- For those who are hurt, they need to ask for police reports, copies of doctor’s reports, and primary analysis.
- Ask for the insurance information for the at-fault driver and don’t disclose it to anyone, including the other party’s attorney and insurance agents.
- Contact DJC Law and ask for the best failure to yield accident lawyer in Austin.
DJC Law has already got millions of dollars in compensation from the at-fault drivers out of the court or court-based settlement. We have the city's best team of failure to yield accident lawyers in Austin.
Meet with an Austin Attorney who Understands Failure to Yield Car Accidents
Failure to yield car accidents in Austin can be particularly frustrating because they would not have occurred if the driver had obeyed one of the most basic rules of the road. Our attorneys understand that frustration. A skilled team of attorneys could advise you and work with you to obtain the justice and compensation you deserve, so make an appointment at firm today.
Call us and ask for a free case review, and then decide if you want to hire us as your failure to yield accident lawyers in Austin.