Failure-to-yield accidents involve a careless or ignorant driver failing to follow traffic laws to allow another motorist to proceed. They don’t give the other driver the right-of-way as required by California vehicle codes.
The other driver may not catch the mistake, and suddenly a collision occurs. Victims may suffer serious injuries like bone fractures and head trauma, simply because another driver didn’t follow the standard procedure that keeps us all safe when streets merge and intersect.
Fortunately, California empowers victims to file accident claims and seek help with recovery costs. Unfortunately, car insurance companies don’t always make it easy for victims to prove fault and secure the assistance they need.
A skilled attorney can help you stick up for your rights as a victim and secure more. Our Bakersfield car accident lawyers offer a free, no-obligation consultation for all accident victims in Kern County. It’s a chance to find out how to hold a negligent driver fully accountable.
The Types of Failure to Yield Accidents Bakersfield Drivers May Find Themselves In
There are rules of the road that apply to all intersections and anywhere that traffic converges. Who goes first? These laws seek to clear up the “right of way” before collisions can occur.
Drivers who break these guidelines may be ignorant of the law, or, more commonly, they just get careless and make a mistake. They may blow through a crosswalk where a pedestrian had the right-of-way. A driver may proceed through a 4-way stop even though they weren’t the first to arrive.
These are just some examples of negligence that can cause a devastating impact.
Turning left at a busy intersection like Truxtun Avenue and Chester Avenue is also guided by California’s “right of way” laws. California’s Vehicle Codes (CVC) require the driver turning left to yield to approaching traffic.
CVC 21801.
- The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left or to complete a U-turn upon a highway, or to turn left into public or private property, or an alley, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching from the opposite direction which are close enough to constitute a hazard at any time during the turning movement, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to the approaching vehicles until the left turn or U-turn can be made with reasonable safety.
Imagine the frightening results if someone doesn’t follow this left-turn yielding guideline. A devastating accident occurs, and hopefully, the turning driver is cited and accepts full liability for the victims involved.
CVC 21804. explains how drivers trying to merge onto Highway 99 should yield to vehicles already on the highway. Merging motorists overlooking this rule can easily cause a multi-car pileup. Innocent victims may end up with a massive bill from the hospital and with dwindling savings while they can’t go to work to earn a paycheck.
Don’t Be Taken Advantage of After a Failure to Yield Accident
Drivers ignoring the right of way should be easy to spot and to stick with the blame in a collision. But that’s not always what happens. An investigator can misinterpret what happened and fail to charge anyone with the crash.
A giant car insurance company representing the at-fault driver can also try to blame you for what happened or downplay your injuries so they can attempt to offer you less.
Your attorney is a safeguard for your case and gathers all evidence, which can include accident reconstruction data, so that the bad driver is held accountable. Your lawyer then fights to get you the maximum possible for your recovery. This is often much more than you could earn by handling your claim yourself.
We Back Your Case with Powerful Evidence, So The Facts Can’t Be Changed
If you come away from an accident with just car damage and/or only very minor injuries, you may not need a lawyer to handle your case. But if you have a serious injury, and a negligent driver caused your accident, contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Bakersfield to schedule a free consultation. It’s a confidential, no-obligation review of your case with a real Bakersfield car accident attorney.
It’s a fact that the higher the medical bills go, the harder insurers make it for victims to earn support. But your full recovery is our top priority. We don’t stop fighting until you are 100% healed and have the money you need to get back to your normal life.
If you end up needing our help to prove a driver failed to yield, causing your accident and injuries, you don’t have to worry about how you’ll afford a great lawyer. We don’t charge anything up front, and we only get paid if we win your case for you. Then our attorney’s fee comes out of the settlement check that an insurance company writes for you.