Bridgeport Failure to Obey Traffic Signals Accident Lawyer

A selective focus shot of a car about to drive past a post with a traffic signal and light. Reckless driving is a massive contributor to car accidents in Bridgeport. You might be on your way to your next destination without considering the possibility of someone running a red light and smashing right into you.

Unfortunately, failing to obey traffic signals significantly contributes to local roadway accidents.

If you have been involved in a car accident caused by a driver failing to obey traffic signals, it’s important to have an experienced Bridgeport personal injury attorney who can provide legal guidance. Dealing with physical injuries caused by a car accident is overwhelming, and battling insurance companies and negligent parties for compensation can be even more stressful.

You may have a claim if you were injured due to someone else’s negligence. We are ready to help you get the compensation you deserve.

Get started today by calling Bert McDowell Injury Law at (203) 590-9169 or contacting us online.

How a Bridgeport Failure to Obey Traffic Signals Accident Attorney Helps

Car accidents are most often a direct result of an act of negligence — like sudden lane changes without signaling, rolling through stop signs, and aggressive merging. All commonly cause crashes with severe injuries and property damage to all involved.

Navigating the consequences of a car accident caused by a failure to obey traffic signals may be a complicated process. Insurance companies may try to interpret your statements as admitting fault, rush settlements, and offer you minimal compensation that does not cover all of your injuries or damages.

Having the right failure-to-obey traffic signals accident attorney by your side can make a difference in the results of your case. They know the nuances surrounding traffic accidents, how other parties tend to behave, and what strategies to help get the result your case deserves.

Your attorney will be the guide you need as you navigate the claims process. They will be responsible for reviewing documents, medical bills, and evidence associated with your case, building a solid claim, providing representation throughout, and standing up for you if your claim goes to court.

These services not only provide you with peace of mind and the chance to focus on healing, but they also dramatically raise your chances of a successful settlement.

How Are Traffic Signals Defined?

The Connecticut Crash Data Repository showed that between January 2020 and August 2023, there were over 6,600 car accidents that occurred in intersections. Proper adherence to traffic signals is essential for preventing accidents, ensuring smooth traffic flow, and promoting overall safety.

Failure to obey traffic signals may result in traffic violations, accidents, major injuries, and severe legal consequences.

Traffic signals, or traffic lights or stop lights, provide direction for vehicles and pedestrians at intersections. The main components of a typical traffic signal include signal heads, control boxes, and pedestrian signals.

Traffic signals play a crucial role in maintaining order and safety on roadways. They are strategically placed at intersections to regulate the right of way, minimize traffic bottlenecking, and prevent collisions.

The sequence of colors in a stoplight traffic signal, for example, provides clear instructions to drivers and pedestrians while maintaining traffic flow efficiency. In addition to standard traffic signals, there are also special signals for specific situations, such as traffic signal arrows, warning signs for construction or school zones, speed limit signs, and guide signs.

Stop Lights

Also called “signal heads,” these units contain colored lights visible to drivers and pedestrians. The standard colors used in traffic signals are red, yellow (amber), and green.

Red Light — Indicates that vehicles must come to a complete stop.
Yellow Light — Warns of an impending change from green to red. Drivers are expected to slow down, prepare to yield, and prepare to stop.
Green Light — Permits vehicles to proceed, indicating that it is safe to move through the intersection once more.

Control Box

The electronic control box manages the timing and sequencing of the streetlight. It is intended to manage the duration of each signal and the transition between colors. When the control box operates correctly, it ensures a smooth and safe flow of traffic.

Pedestrian Signals

Some traffic intersections include additional lights specifically for pedestrians. These may display symbols such as a walking person (indicating it’s safe to cross) or a hand (indicating pedestrians should wait).

These signals change as the streetlight changes, offering safe walkways when traffic isn’t flowing across the crosswalk area.

Stop Signs and Other Traffic Signals

Drivers may also fail to make a full and proper stop when approaching a stop sign or otherwise fail to obey any of the following signals:

Flashing yield indicators
School zone or lower speed limit indicators
Arrows indicating a need to merge, take a detour, or yield the right-of-way
Railroad crossing warnings

Causes of Failure to Obey Traffic Signal Accidents

There are multiple reasons why a driver may fail to — or choose to — disobey traffic signals:

Distracted driving — A driver may easily miss a traffic signal when distracted. Many distractions can occur while on the road. Whether texting, talking on the phone, or conversing with other passengers, a distraction at the wrong time can lead to dire consequences.
Reckless or aggressive driving — Running red lights, ignoring pedestrian walkway signals, and trying to speed to beat a yellow light are a few examples of reckless driving.
Impaired driving — Impaired driving (DUI) limits a driver’s senses, automatically increasing the odds of the driver not noticing traffic lights while also slowing their ability to perceive and react to a change in traffic instructions.
Inattention: A simple lapse in attention can result in drivers overlooking and disregarding traffic signals, leading to collisions.

The Consequences of Failing to Obey Traffic Signals Accidents

As drivers, we are responsible for behaving on the roadway in a safe manner. One minor mistake can lead to catastrophic consequences.

If the accident results in significant injuries and prompts legal action, drivers may face civil liability, fines, potential imprisonment, and substantial restitution to the injured parties.

Damages Associated With Failing to Obey Traffic Signals Accidents

If you find yourself in a situation where a failure to obey traffic signals led to an accident, you can file a claim for damages. When you work with an attorney, they will review your case, analyze evidence, and review the negligent party’s insurance policy.

Their policy terms may also include coverage items that you may have missed otherwise had you not chosen to hire legal help.

These losses may include:

Medical Costs — Your attorney will calculate the total medical treatment costs associated with your case. Their calculation will include past items and future expenses, as applicable.
Lost Wages — Injury from a car accident can result in lost wages or the need to use paid leave and other benefits that they would not have had to tap into if not for someone else’s negligence. In addition, wages may be affected for many years if the damages result in injuries that compromise the victim’s ability to do their job or receive promotions.
Property Damage — Property damage liability coverage can pay for vehicle expenses, like repairs or replacement of damaged vehicles or other personal property affected in the accident.
Pain and Suffering — Offering compensation for the physical and emotional distress experienced due to the accident.

Most Common Types of Accidents in an Intersection

Street lights are found in intersections, controlling which side of traffic moves and when. Accidents in intersections cause serious damage to cars, and so the flow of traffic must be controlled in a clear and decisive way.

In addition, accidents in intersections can quickly become deadly as pedestrians may be entering the right of way through crosswalks or across common walkways.

Rear-End Collisions

A rear-end collision often occurs when one car is stopped at a red light, and the person behind them does not stop in time. As a result, one car crashes into the backside of the stopped car, causing a sudden force, shoving the drivers forward and then back into their seats.

Rear-end collisions are commonly caused by excessive speeding, tailgating, running a red light, speeding to catch the yellow light, and aggressive and distracted driving.

Side-impact or T-bone Accidents

These accidents are often seen when one party runs a red light. Since the opposing traffic has received the green signal, they have pulled into the intersection, finding themselves right in the middle of an oncoming car that’s running the light — a vehicle that is likely going very fast in a perpendicular direction.

T-bone accidents may cause serious injuries to all parties involved. The victim’s injuries may be typified depending on where they were sitting in their car in relation to the point of the crash.

Head trauma and spinal trauma are common when the collision happens on the same side that an occupant was sitting on.

Side-Swipe Accidents

Side-swipe accidents happen to cars going in the same direction, often when one car merges into the other lane. They can commonly happen when traffic is being directed to merge from multiple lanes into one by a temporary signal, such as during periods of construction.

Side-swipe accidents can be dangerous at high speeds, resulting in losing control of your car and being catapulted into barriers or even into oncoming traffic.

Head-on Collisions

Head-on collisions cause severe injuries and even fatalities, usually when the negligent driver enters the intersection quickly after running a red light without cause to consider that the opposite direction has the right of way.

Pedestrian Accidents

An accident involving a pedestrian will lead to catastrophic results. The pedestrian is not protected by the frame of a car, a seatbelt, or an airbag, meaning that their body will impact the negligent party’s car and possibly other objects before the accident is over.

These accidents happen most commonly in the crosswalk when the pedestrian enters the right of way as directed by street signage. Unfortunately, if the negligent driver is speeding, distracted, or under the influence, they will not have enough time to stop before they hit the pedestrian.

Hire a Bridgeport Failure to Obey Traffic Signals Law Firm

When it comes to accidents caused by failure to obey traffic signals, the consequences can be costly. Seeking advice from a trustworthy and knowledgeable attorney becomes crucial in dealing with the aftermath.

Do not try to settle your claim alone if you want to ensure that all of your damages are accounted for. Our team is dedicated to handling cases of failure to obey traffic signal accidents and is committed to offering legal guidance and representation until an appropriate settlement is reached.

If you were in an accident due to a negligent party’s failure to obey traffic signals, call Bert McDowell Injury Law. Our team is here to provide the legal counsel and support you need to seek the full compensation your case deserves.