Tampa Intersection Accident Lawyer
Intersections are the most common site of all car accidents and injuries. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 40% of all collisions occur at an intersection. The most common type of intersection collision, a T-bone crash, is also one of the most dangerous and deadly types of crashes.
At Anderson & Anderson, our personal injury legal team is committed to providing top-quality representation to accident victims and their families to help them get the compensation they need after getting hurt because of another driver’s negligence. If you or your loved one has been injured in a Tampa intersection accident, call us for a free consultation to discuss your claim.
Why Do Intersection Accidents Happen?
Intersection accidents can happen when drivers turn while their view was obstructed, such as making a left-hand turn across traffic while failing to see an oncoming car from the opposite direction. Traffic safety researchers identify two major types of driver error that often lead to intersection accidents: false assumption of other driver’s action and inadequate surveillance.
- False assumption of other driver’s action. This refers to guessing what the other driver will do and getting it wrong. In the context of an intersection, a false assumption can lead to an accident like this. A driver is waiting to turn left, but there is too much oncoming traffic. The driver sees the light turn yellow and turns, falsely assuming that oncoming drivers will not enter the intersection because they see the yellow light as well. Of course, those don’t drivers don’t stop for the yellow; instead, they speed up to get through the intersection before the light turns red. Those drivers falsely assume the turning driver will wait until traffic is clear to turn.
- Inadequate surveillance. In the context of an intersection accident, inadequate surveillance can refer to failing to check for oncoming cars before turning or failing to check for cross-traffic before entering the intersection. According to the NHTSA, 44% of all car accidents due to driver error are attributed to inadequate surveillance.
The example in the false assumption scenario above also shows how comparative fault can play a role in an intersection accident. There, both drivers made a false assumption about what the other driver would do. Is it negligent to speed up and enter an intersection on a yellow light when you see a driver in the opposite lane trying to turn left? Is it negligent to turn left on a yellow light if you still see traffic coming from the other direction? In a situation like this, a jury could find that only one driver was responsible for causing the crash or that they both were, but each driver assumes a different percentage of the blame. In that case, the injury victim’s compensation amount would be reduced accordingly.
Settling a claim with an insurance company, or trying a case to a jury verdict, can involve complicated questions like this of comparative fault. At Anderson & Anderson, our experienced accident attorneys understand these complex issues and work to prove the other driver’s fault to the fullest extent while keeping our clients from being unfairly saddled with any portion of blame that does not belong to them.
What is the Florida Law on Intersections?
Florida Statutes 316.121 governs vehicles approaching or entering intersections. This law requires that the driver approaching an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle that has already entered the intersection. If both vehicles arrive at the intersection at the same time, the driver on the left is supposed to yield to the driver on the right. Similarly, a driver who is entering a paved or state-maintained road from an unpaved road with no traffic control is required to yield the right-of-way to vehicles on the paved or state-maintained road. Florida Statutes 316.122 requires a left-turning vehicle to yield the right-of-way to an approaching vehicle.
Our Law Firm Is Here to Help After an Intersection Accident in Tampa
Having the right-of-way at an intersection is one thing, but that fact alone can’t save you from a driver who is speeding, reckless, distracted or drunk and fails to heed a stop sign, traffic light or the rules of the road governing intersection safety. If that happens, you need an experienced and successful car accident lawyer on your side who knows how to prove the other driver’s fault and is dedicated to securing you a full and fair amount of compensation for the harm done to you.
For help after an intersection accident in Tampa, call Anderson & Anderson at 813-251-0072 for a free consultation. We advance all costs so you don’t have to pay any money up front to pursue your case, and we only charge a fee if we are successful in recovering compensation for you.
