One of the first rules you learn about driving, even before you are old enough to drive, is that red means stop.
Sadly, many drivers ignore this rule, disobeying stop lights as they attempt to speed through them. Car accidents that result from ignored traffic signals can cause severe injuries, as the increased speed raises the energy and intensity of any resulting collision.
Following red and yellow light accidents in New Port Richey, FL, Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers works to help injured motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists fight for fair compensation. Contact a New Port Richey car accident lawyer today for a completely free case review at (727) 910-5060.
How Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Red and Yellow Light Accident in New Port Richey, FL
Since 2001, “The Aggressive Attorneys” at Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers have helped clients in New Port Richey, Florida, fight for financial compensation from those responsible for their injuries.
Our car accident lawyers have over 119 years of combined legal experience standing up to at-fault parties and their powerful insurers. We’ve won tens of millions of dollars for our clients. In the event that someone else’s negligent or wrongful actions injure you, we will provide you with the following services:
- Analyzing your situation and outline your options for seeking injury compensation
- Collecting medical records and other evidence to prove your claims
- Negotiating with insurance adjusters to resolve your case without litigation
- Taking your case to court when insurers refuse to offer a fair settlement
Traffic crashes can cause painful and disabling injuries, so do not hesitate to contact Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss the accident compensation you can seek in Florida.
How Many Crashes Happen at Red or Yellow Lights?
Florida’s annual Crash Facts includes statistics regarding car accidents caused by traffic violations. Drivers who ran red lights caused the following kinds of crashes in 2022:
- 96 fatal accidents
- 728 serious injury accidents that required an ambulance
- 3,996 minor injury accidents where a victim had a visible but non-disabling injury
- 7,921 possible injury accidents where a victim complained of pain or other symptoms
- 20,377 red light crashes that caused no injuries
Thus, in just one year, Florida drivers caused a total of 33,118 collisions just by running red lights. Bear in mind that some of these crashes involved pedestrian accidents or bicycle accidents in which the crash victim had no protection when hit by the red-light runner’s vehicle.
Consequences of Red and Yellow Light Crashes
Although red and yellow light crashes may seem similar, Florida law treats them differently.
Red Light Crashes
Under the state’s traffic laws, drivers facing red lights must stop at the stop line or crosswalk. The law requires drivers to stop before entering if an intersection lacks these markings. They must remain stopped until the traffic signal turns green.
As such, a driver who runs a red light has violated Florida’s traffic laws. More importantly, they have exposed other road users to an unreasonable risk of injury or death.
Negligence law usually determines who may bear the fault for a crash. And given that negligence happens when a driver fails to exercise reasonable care, the liability for most cases involving a crash caused by running a red light will fall on the driver who disobeyed it in the first place.
Yellow Light Crashes
Contrary to what we often learn as children, yellow lights do not mean “yield” or “caution.” Under Florida law, yellow lights are simply a warning that the light will turn red. The law does not require drivers to yield, slow down, or stop at yellow lights.
However, the liability for a yellow light crash hinges on the difference between what traffic laws require and what a reasonably prudent and cautious driver would do. Even though the law does not require drivers to stop, a driver might act negligently by failing to do so.
Other factors that might expose a yellow-light runner’s negligence include the following:
- Speeding up to beat a yellow light turning red
- Entering an intersection on a yellow light about to turn red
- Failing to notice a light that has turned yellow due to distracted or intoxicated driving
With these circumstances in mind, yellow-light running provides a good example where a driver can act negligently while committing no traffic violations.
Injuries From Intersection Crashes
Crashes from running red and yellow lights usually involve a side-impact collision, called a T-bone collision.
These crashes can cause particularly serious injuries when one car impacts the door of the other, as the door can cave in, crushing the occupants. The impact can also shower them with shattered glass from the side windows, causing them to suffer life-threatening lacerations to the chest and abdomen or even the head.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our New Port Richey Red and Yellow Light Accident Lawyers
A red or yellow light collision can leave you with injuries that disable you from performing your work or home duties. Contact Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss the injuries you suffered in your car accident and the compensation we can help you recover for them. Our New Port Richey red and yellow light accident lawyers work on contingency; we only get attorney’s fees if we win your case.
