While yielding to another driver is often viewed as an expression of courtesy, this action is actually vital to the safety of everyone on the road. Thoughtless, distracted, or aggressive drivers are often guilty of failing to yield, and in many cases this absence of expected civility results in accidents that result in serious injury or even fatality.
Have you been harmed in an accident caused by another driver’s failure to yield? If so, you are legally entitled to meaningful compensation. If your accident occurred in the Philadelphia area, the experienced personal injury attorneys at Cooper Schall & Levy will fight vigorously to see that you receive it.
When It Is Imperative to Yield the Right of Way in Pennsylvania
Drivers have to learn when they are legally required to yield the right of way in their own state to pass their driving tests. They may be disheartened, however, to find that if they’re driving in another state they may have to obey some differing regulations. In Pennsylvania, drivers must yield in the following circumstances:
- When there is a stop or yield sign
- When there is a pedestrian crosswalk
- When entering a highway via an on-ramp
- When merging into traffic
- When approaching a vehicle already in an intersection
- When entering a roundabout with cars already in it
- When entering the road from a driveway
- When pulling out of a parking spot
- In school zones and for actively stopped school buses
- When exiting a parking lot or driveway
Ambiguous Situations Defined by Pennsylvania Law
While the above scenarios seem straightforward, some ambiguous situations leave drivers uncertain about how to proceed. Pennsylvania law, however, has provided clarity by establishing the following rules:
- In the absence of traffic control signals or signs, if two vehicles arrive at an intersection at the same time, the vehicle on the left must yield to the vehicle on the right.
- When making a left turn across opposing traffic, the left-turning driver must yield to oncoming vehicles.
- When turning left or making a U-turn, drivers must yield to vehicles in the approaching lane.
- Drivers entering a highway must yield to traffic already traveling the highway.
- Drivers must yield to emergency vehicles flashing their lights/sounding their sirens.
- If all four drivers arrive at a four-stop intersection at the same time, the drivers who plan on going straight have the right of way. If all four drivers are turning right at the intersection, they may all proceed simultaneously.
Unfortunately, not all drivers know these rules, and not all who know them follow them. If you have been the victim of one of these negligent or reckless drivers, our failure to yield car accident lawyers are here to fight for your rights.
Any Type of Accident Resulting From a Driver’s Failure To Yield Can Be Devastating
Failure to yield the right of way can lead to a range of accidents, including:
- T-bone or even head-on collisions during a failure to yield in a left- or right-turn accident
- Pedestrian or bicycle accidents which, even at low speeds, can have terrible consequences
- Merging accidents in which a driver’s failure to yield can result in a rear-end or sideswipe collision
Injuries Due to Failure-To-Yield Accidents
The injuries sustained in these accidents can vary in severity, but may include:
- Whiplash
- Bone fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Lacerations, bruises, and abrasions
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage or loss
Why You Need Our Experienced Attorneys After a Failure-To-Yield Accident
Our decades of fighting for victims of failure-to-yield car accidents in Pennsylvania have refined and sharpened our legal skills when it comes to bringing you the maximum damages you need and deserve. You will be pleased to find us:
- Well-practiced in applying both Pennsylvania traffic laws and personal injury laws to your individual case.
- Capable of investigating your case thoroughly by researching the defendant’s driving history, interviewing witnesses, and closely examining police and medical reports.
- Accurate in determining the worth of your claim in terms of medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering.
- Able to negotiate with opposing attorneys and insurance adjusters to get you the largest possible settlement.
- Effective in creating a winning legal strategy if it becomes necessary to litigate in order to bring you maximum compensation.
We Will Fight To Provide You With Full Compensation for Your Losses
Once we have listened carefully to your account of the accident and of the physical, emotional, and financial losses you have sustained, we will determine what a realistic settlement will be and pull out all the stops to attain compensatory damages for your economic and non-economic losses.
Economic damages are designed to cover:
- Medical, rehabilitative, and pharmaceutical expenses
- Property damage
- Lost income (present and future)
- Long-term nursing care
- Alterations to make your home accessible
- Replacement services
Non-economic damages cover intangibles, such as
- Physical pain
- Emotional suffering
- Disfigurement
- Permanent disability
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
If you have lost a loved one to wrongful death in a failure-to-yield car accident, we know that no amount of compensation is enough. Nonetheless, we will work tirelessly to bring you some relief in the form of damages for final medical expenses, funeral and burial/cremation costs, and loss of financial support and companionship. If the defendant acted with extreme recklessness or malice, we may be able to persuade the court to award you punitive damages as well.
Contact Our Experienced Car Accident Attorneys Today
You can depend on the law team at Cooper Schall & Levy to understand the extent of the trauma you have suffered and to do everything possible to make sure there is a just conclusion to your case. Contact us now to feel the security that comes from dealing with compassionate, capable professionals.
