The vast majority of intersection crashes in St. Petersburg, FL, happen when a driver fails to yield the right of way. This failure can happen for many reasons, including impatience and distractions. Regardless of the cause, side-impact and angle collisions in intersections can cause serious injuries.
This type of crash commonly happens when a driver runs through a red or yellow traffic signal. A St. Petersburg red and yellow light accident lawyer from Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys can gather the evidence needed to prove fault and recover compensation.
Contact our personal injury law firm at (727) 933-0015 for a free consultation to learn more about your legal options.
How Our St. Petersburg Car Accident Attorneys Can Help After a Traffic Light Collision
Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys is a highly rated law firm in St. Petersburg, Florida, dedicated to assisting clients in their pursuit of personal injury compensation. Our St. Petersburg car accident lawyers have over 25 years of combined legal experience representing injured people against those responsible for harming them.
If you get injured by someone else’s actions, our lawyers will provide the following:
- A free evaluation to assess your case and explain your options
- Aggressive negotiations with claim adjusters to settle your insurance claims
- An experienced team of litigators to take your case to court if it does not settle
Car accidents can leave you with serious injuries that require expensive treatment and therapy. Contact our St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your injuries and how we can help you pursue compensation.
How Many People Get Injured in Red and Yellow Light Crashes in Florida?
In its annual Crash Facts Report, Florida reported that intersection crashes in 2021 caused:
- 1,079 fatal injuries
- 96,757 non-fatal injuries
Not all of these intersection-related collisions involved multiple vehicles. Pedestrian accidents can occur at intersections when drivers fail to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Similarly, drivers can collide with bicycles when they fail to spot them in bike lanes or on the shoulder before turning into them.
Many of these crashes resulted when drivers disobeyed red lights.
According to the Crash Facts Report, red light runners caused:
- 97 deaths
- 781 serious injuries that required an ambulance
- 3,865 visible injuries that did not need an ambulance
- 7,773 complaints of pain and other symptoms without any visible injuries
The state does not specify the number of deaths and injuries caused by running yellow lights. Instead, yellow light crashes get categorized based on related violations like speeding.
Causes and Effects of Disobeying a Traffic Signal
Florida law treats red and yellow lights differently. As a result, you must analyze the causes and legal effects of crashes involving red and yellow lights differently.
Red Light Collisions
A driver facing a steady red traffic signal must stop at a stop line or crosswalk before entering the intersection. They must wait there until the light turns green. The only exception occurs during right-hand turns. A driver can turn right after they stop at the red light and check that they can proceed safely.
A driver facing a steady red light faces many legal consequences if they fail to stop and yield to cross-traffic. A police officer can cite the driver for a non-criminal moving violation. This citation carries a fine. A judge will not impose jail time unless the driver fails to pay the fine.
The driver may also face civil liability for any injuries they caused by running the red light. Florida uses a no-fault system of auto insurance. Drivers first file a claim with their no-fault insurer. They can only pursue claims against the at-fault driver when they have significant, permanent injuries or run out of no-fault benefits.
The collisions that result from running red lights can cause severe injuries. According to the National Safety Council, angle and side-impact collisions are the most common causes of fatal and non-fatal crash injuries. Seat belts and airbags are not designed for these crashes. As a result, drivers and passengers can suffer head, spine, and abdominal injuries.
Yellow Light Collisions
Florida’s traffic code does not require drivers to stop at yellow lights. Instead, yellow lights merely signal to approaching drivers that the light will soon turn red.
To analyze whether a driver is liable for injuries caused in a yellow light collision, you need to look at many factors, including:
- Why the other vehicle was in the intersection
- How long the light was yellow
- Whether the light turned red before the driver cleared the intersection
- Whether any other traffic violations occurred, like speeding or distracted driving
The driver who ran the yellow light could be liable for any resulting injuries if they acted negligently. Negligence happens when drivers fail to exercise reasonable care. A driver will bear liability for running a yellow light if a reasonably careful driver in the same situation would have stopped.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our St. Petersburg Red and Yellow Light Accident Attorneys
A side-impact collision from disobeying a red or yellow light can crush a vehicle’s occupants. Contact Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys to discuss the injuries you suffered and how we can pursue compensation for their effects.
