Failure-to-Yield Accident Lawyer in Greensboro NC

car accident on crossroads

Failure-to-Yield Accident Lawyer in Greensboro NC

car accident on crossroads

Failure to yield the right-of-way frequently causes some of the most severe car crashes in Greensboro. If you were hurt by another motorist who failed to yield, they could owe you money for the harm you suffered. Proving who had the right-of-way before the crash can become a complex process. Instead of trying to tackle a challenging claim on your own, let a failure-to-yield accident lawyer in Greensboro from Ward Black Law use their legal experience and knowledge to build a persuasive case for you.

Our firm has represented accident victims in Greensboro and across North Carolina for over 30 years and has secured over $150 million in settlements for them to date. We combine cutting-edge technology with strategic planning and hard work to develop tailored, effective case strategies for each client we help. We won’t just fight for the justice you need but also the care you deserve.

Let us get to work pursuing the compensation you deserve from the person who hurt you. Contact us online or call Ward Black Law today to talk to a failure-to-yield accident lawyer in Greensboro during a free consultation.

What Is the Right-of-Way?

The “right-of-way” refers to the rules determining which motorist, bicyclist, or pedestrian can proceed at an intersection, when traffic is merging, or when crossing over the center line or median.

While some right-of-way rules arise under traffic laws, others come from road safety practices. The right-of-way is meant to ensure motor vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians can safely share the road and prevent collisions.

What Is Failure to Yield?

“Failure to yield” refers to a situation in which a driver, bicyclist, or pedestrian does not respect the right-of-way of another road user when required to by law or custom. A motorist who fails to yield the right-of-way may be liable for a resulting collision.

Failure-to-Yield Accident Statistics in Greensboro

According to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, failure-to-yield contributed to at least 42,000 traffic accidents in the state in one recent year. Of these accidents, 14,747 resulted in injuries and 172 in fatalities. There were just over 9,200 traffic accidents in Greensboro that same year, 5,885 of which caused injuries and 56 of which resulted in death.

Types of Failure-to-Yield Accidents

At Ward Black Law, we represent clients who have been injured in accidents involving failure to yield in circumstances such as:

  • Left turns – Left-turning vehicles must yield the right of way to a vehicle proceeding straight from the opposite direction.
  • Right turns on red – Drivers making a right turn on a red light must yield to cross-traffic with the green light and may not turn at intersections that prohibit a right on red.
  • Stop signs, yield signs, and traffic lights – Drivers approaching an intersection must yield to traffic already at or in the intersection and must yield at a stop or yield sign for a driver who does not have a sign.
  • Bicycles and pedestrians – Motorists must yield to pedestrians in an intersection or a marked crosswalk. Drivers should also yield to oncoming bicyclists when turning right.
  • Parking lots, parking garages, and driveways – Drivers turning into or backing out of parking spaces should yield to vehicles in the travel lane, while drivers exiting a driveway should yield to traffic in the roadway.
  • Three-way and four-way stop signs – Drivers at multi-way stop signs should yield to any driver without a stop sign. When all ways have stop signs, the driver who stops first has the right-of-way. If more than one vehicle stops at the same time, the driver on the right has priority.
  • Merging – Drivers entering a highway or traffic circle should yield to traffic already on that highway or in the traffic circle.
  • Emergency vehicles – Drivers must pull over to the right to yield to oncoming emergency vehicles with lights or sirens activated.

Causes of Failure-to-Yield Accidents in Greensboro

Some of the most frequent reasons drivers fail to yield the right-of-way include the following:

Liability for Failure-to-Yield Accidents

In most cases, a driver who fails to yield the right-of-way when required is liable for losses from a resulting collision. A failure-to-yield accident claim can provide you with financial recovery for your expenses and losses from the accident, including for:

  • Costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation, including hospitalization, surgery, pain medication, and physical therapy
  • Costs of long-term care for permanent disabilities left by your injuries
  • Lost income from missed work or reduced earning capacity on light duty
  • Loss of future earnings and job benefits after becoming permanently disabled from employment
  • Loss of quality of life caused by disabilities, scarring, or disfigurement interfering with daily living
  • Physical pain
  • Emotional distress from the accident and your injuries
  • Vehicle repair costs or reimbursement of the value of your totaled vehicle

However, before you can recover this compensation, you must prove that the other driver was required to yield and did not. Establishing this requires supporting evidence, such as:

  • Eyewitness accounts
  • Traffic or security camera videos
  • Photographs of the scene
  • Information from police accident reports

Our experienced attorneys can take this evidence and work with crash reconstruction experts to determine what led to the crash, what right-of-way laws were violated, and who is to blame. Because this evidence can be lost or go missing shortly after the crash, it’s important to consult with a lawyer as soon as you can.