Car Accidents from Disregarding Traffic Signals

Traffic signals including lights and stop signs allow for the orderly flow of traffic on roads and highways in Corpus Christi and across the Rio Grande Valley. Drivers are required to obey traffic signals unless a law enforcement officer is present and is directing traffic. Unfortunately, some drivers disregard traffic signals because they are impatient, in a hurry, inattentive or simply reckless. They often cause crashes as a result of their negligent behavior. If you have been injured in an auto accident caused by a driver who disregarded a traffic signal or ran a red light, you may have a right to seek compensation for your injuries.

The Corpus Christi car accident lawyers at Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C., help people who have been injured by the carelessness or recklessness of other drivers. Our car crash attorneys provide aggressive legal representation to people who have been injured through no fault of their own. We are committed to holding drivers who disregard traffic signals accountable for the harm they cause. Contact Herrman & Herrman first!

Our Texas Car Accident Lawyers Hold Accountable Drivers Who Disregard Traffic Signals

Drivers have a legal duty to obey traffic laws and traffic signals so as not to endanger other motorists and pedestrians crossing the street. When a driver shirks the responsibility to drive safely by running a red light or stop sign or failing to yield when required, that driver may have acted negligently. Police may issue a ticket to a driver who runs a red light and causes an accident. If the accident caused injuries to others, the people who are injured may have a claim against the at-fault driver and the driver’s auto insurance company for medical bills and other losses.

At Herrman & Herrman, P.L.L.C., we are dedicated to pursuing justice on behalf of people who have been injured through the negligence of others.

If another driver caused a serious car accident as a result of disregarding a traffic signal, here is what an experienced Texas car accident lawyer will do:

• Conduct a detailed investigation of the facts of the car accident
• Interview police and locate witnesses to the accident
• Identify all at-fault parties to accidents and sources of insurance
• Hire a traffic accident reconstruction expert to assist if needed
• Subpoena cell phone records to determine if the at-fault driver was distracted
• Review your medical records and develop an estimate of your damages including lost income and future lost earnings if you cannot return to work
• Contact the at-fault driver’s insurance and present a claim for compensation
• Negotiate aggressively with the insurance company for maximum settlement
• File the case in civil court in Texas if the insurance company refuses to pay a just settlement that recognizes the full extent of your losses

Common Car Crashes Involving Failure to Obey Traffic Signals

When unsafe drivers run red lights or disregard stop signs or stop-and-go signs, they put themselves and other motorists and pedestrians in jeopardy.

A driver who is inattentive or impaired by alcohol may fail to heed a stop sign and crash into another car that has the right of way.

A driver distracted by a cell phone may fail to notice that a traffic signal has changed to red and crash into other vehicles.

An aggressive driver may barrel through a busy intersection after the light has turned red when the driver had adequate time to stop safely. Aggressive driving includes failure to obey traffic signals or traffic control devices and failure to yield the right of way.

Red light running contributes to many intersection accidents and T-bone collisions, causing serious injuries. Due to the fact that drivers often accelerates when trying to beat a changing traffic light, their vehicles are traveling at higher speed and more likely to cause severe injuries. While Texas law allows motorists to proceed through a yellow caution light, it is illegal to proceed if the light is red. Drivers who routinely try to beat red lights pose a risk to pedestrians and people in other vehicles.

The City of Corpus Christi has installed traffic cameras at more than a dozen intersections to fine motorists who run red lights.

In rural areas of Texas, accidents involving disregarding traffic signals, stop signs or stop-and-go signals led to 54 deaths, more than 700 injuries and 251 incapacitating injuries in 2015, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. In urban areas of Texas, drivers’ disregard for traffic signals and stop signs contributed to 110 fatal crashes and more than 11,400 crashes involving injuries. These preventable accidents cause a lot of serious harm to families in Texas.

Frequently Asked Questions about Accidents Caused by Disregarding Traffic Signals