In addition to following traffic patterns, obeying posted signs, and complying with traffic regulations such as speed limits, drivers in Louisiana also have a duty to know when they must yield the right-of-way to other road users and to do so whenever the law requires it. Unfortunately, as both law enforcement authorities and experienced car accident lawyers could tell you, some negligent drivers fail to properly follow right-of-way laws and often end up causing wrecks as a result.
Those injured in failure to yield car accidents in Lafayette caused by others often have grounds to file suit against the person to blame for the crash. However, if you want to get the best possible outcome from such a claim and maximize the financial compensation you receive, you are likely to benefit from help from the experienced legal team at Tomeny | Best.
What Are the Right-Of-Way Rules for Lafayette Drivers?
Different right-of-way rules apply to different situations on public roads. At four-way stop intersections, for example, when arriving at that intersection, you are expected to yield to anyone who reached the intersection before you or, if multiple vehicles arrived simultaneously, to whoever is on your right. However, if you are turning left at an intersection, you must always yield to oncoming traffic traveling toward you before making your turn, unless you have a green-arrow traffic signal instructing you to advance.
All drivers must yield at all times to emergency vehicles with their lights and sirens on, pedestrians on crosswalks, and any traffic already in a roadway you are entering from a side street, entrance ramp, driveway, or alleyway. Anyone who fails to follow any of these rules has violated their duty of care to act responsibly and lawfully behind the wheel, and anyone who causes a car crash in Lafayette by failing to yield holds civil liability for all damages caused by their breach of duty.
Proving That a Failure To Yield Directly Caused a Crash
In some cases, proving that someone else was at fault for auto accident injuries is as simple as referencing the accident report written by the police officers who responded to the accident scene and noting the traffic citation that the other person received for an offense related to the wreck. However, because failure to yield auto accidents in Lafayette often happen without a police officer personally witnessing them, there is not always such an obvious signifier of fault that you can reference in an ensuing lawsuit or settlement demand.
In these scenarios, you may need to establish that a failure to yield offense by a specific individual was the main and direct cause of your injuries using evidence such as witness testimony, crash scene photos, traffic or dashboard camera footage, and even input from accident reconstructionists. Guidance from seasoned legal counsel could be crucial both to efficiently tracking down relevant information and to effectively using it to pursue fair compensation.
Get Help With a Failure To Yield Car Crash Lawsuit From a Lafayette Attorney
Yielding the right-of-way is not just a matter of being polite to other people on the road but a matter of state law governing exactly how traffic should progress on and around that road. If someone violates those laws and causes a crash resulting in injury, then in theory, they meet all the criteria for legally actionable negligence—but of course, theory is one thing, while proving fault for a wreck in practice can be another entirely.
When it comes to securing the compensation you deserve, help is available from our qualified auto accident lawyers, who could fight for you and your rights. Call today for more information about how Tomeny | Best can help after failure to yield car accidents in Lafayette.
