Failure to Yield Car Accidents in Nanuet

The web of roads and highways that connect our state and our country can be a valuable resource, but only if drivers are all following the same rules. There will be areas of the road where one driver needs to yield the right-of-way to another to avoid any collision. Even with these rules in place, failure to yield car accidents in Nanuet are common, and you may find yourself needing to speak with a knowledgeable auto accident attorney to help acquire compensation for any injuries you suffered. StolzenbergCortelli, LLP is available to offer legal advice and press for the financial recovery you deserve.

What is a Failure to Yield?

New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1142 says that drivers who encounter a yield sign – or traffic light – must allow oncoming drivers or pedestrians to move forward safely. If a crash occurs because a driver failed to yield, the crash can be considered part of the evidence that they disobeyed the sign.

Right-of-way refers to which individual is entitled to proceed first at an intersection or a crosswalk, and it is going to be different based on each instance. A car turning left has to yield the right-of-way to cars going straight in the opposite direction. A car in Nanuet with a yield sign must yield the right-of-way to motorists who are in the other lane, while the car with a stop sign has to yield the right-of-way to whoever arrived at the intersection first. If two drivers come to a stop sign at the exact same time, the one who is on the right is allowed to move first.

Stop Signs Require a Yield

While the red and white triangle is the typical “Yield” symbol, stop signs also inherently require a driver to yield to others who are present. Someone who “rolls through” a stop sign without coming to a complete stop could be held liable. The same might be true for a driver who crosses the intersection when it is not their turn, even if the other vehicle (who had the right of way) struck them.

Identifying Fault in Failure-to-Yield Cases

In general, the presence of a yield sign or traffic light should make liability easy to identify when a car accident occurs in Nanuet. However, there will always be situations where liability or fault is not as easy to determine. There could be issues if there is an intersection with multiple stop signs or lights, making it difficult to determine who had the right-of-way. There might be a question of what color the light was at the time they began to move, or whether there was a turn arrow. There could also be unique conditions – such as inclement weather or some sort of accident at the scene – that force drivers to improvise and move outside of the usual rules.

Contact Our Team if You Endured a Failure to Yield Accident in Nanuet

Yield signs and traffic lights are there to help you keep order while driving on the road. If another driver disobeyed these signs and ended up injuring you, they should be the ones to compensate you for the personal injuries you sustain. Call us today and speak about the failure to yield accident in Nanuet that left you with compensable losses.