Who is at Fault in a Car Accident at an Intersection?

A huge percentage of car accidents take place in intersections. Practicing hyper-vigilance when you’re in intersections should become a critical element of your safety plan. Head into every intersection with your eyes wide open and remain on the lookout for the dangerous drivers who are likely to blow through them, oblivious to the devastation they can cause. If another driver injured you or a loved one in an intersection, you need the aggressive car accident lawyers at Trust Guss Injury Lawyers. You’re facing extensive damages and extremely complicated claims, but our experienced car accident law firm has the skill, knowledge, and dedication to face down the insurance companies and win you all of the compensation that the law will allow. We are open, for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-898-4877, or contact us now by CLICKING HERE.

Commonly Occurring Intersection Accidents

There’s usually a lot going on in intersections, including traffic that enters and exits from nearly every angle, traffic lights and signals, pedestrian crossings, and more. While nearly any kind of accident can happen in an intersection, there are two kinds of crashes that are closely associated:

Side-impact crashes. When a car rams into the side of another vehicle (also known as a T-bone accident), it can seem like it came out of nowhere. Side-impact collisions can be especially injurious because our vehicles are far less protected on the sides than they are at the front and the rear. Such accidents are exceedingly dangerous and are often precipitated by a driver who fails to yield, who turns across several lanes of traffic, who runs a red light, who doesn’t assess oncoming traffic adequately when making a left turn, or who doesn’t accommodate for adverse driving conditions—like inclement weather or poorly maintained roads.
Rear-end crashes. Rear-end accidents—according to the Insurance Information Institute (III)—happen more than any other kind of accident on our roadways. As such, they happen in intersections—a lot. Frequently, distraction plays a role in rear-end collisions, and distracted driving, by all accounts, is on the rise. The offending vehicle need not be moving at excessive speeds to cause considerable damage and injury in a rear-end accident.

Intersection Accidents: The Stats

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that, although intersections comprise a relatively minor portion of our roadways, they see more than their fair share of traffic accidents. Intersections represent the point of convergence for roadways and are where drivers perform a variety of complicated maneuvers. Here are some examples of the errors drivers make that often result in intersection accidents:

Failing to survey intersections adequately is the number one cause of intersection accidents.
Incorrectly presuming what another driver in the intersection is going to do is the second leading cause of intersection accidents.
The third leading cause of intersection accidents is making a turn when something is obstructing the driver’s view.

Intersections are areas within which a lot of vehicles are funneled through. As such, they’re especially conducive to traffic accidents. Driver beware—watch the intersections!

Common Injuries

Intersection accidents are frequent occurrences, and while some of these accidents are fender benders, serious accidents that evoke serious injuries are also common. Further, though you can incur nearly any kind of injury in such accidents, there are several types of injuries that are common to intersection accidents:

Traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are usually caused by a forceful blow to the head or by the violent shaking of the head—both of which are common to car accidents. Because TBIs affect the victim’s brain, they are often especially difficult injuries to cope with. In fact, TBIs can cause cognitive, physical, behavioral, sensory, and emotional damage.
Whiplash. Whiplash injuries are often exceedingly painful, physically debilitating, and slow to heal. Further, whiplash is highly unpredictable—it can present immediately or slowly creep up on a sufferer over time.
Broken bones. Broken bones are extremely painful injuries that heal slowly. A broken bone will not only slow you down physically but can also morph into serious health complications, including permanent disabilities.
Spinal cord injuries. Damage to the spinal cord or the spinal column can cause spinal cord injuries, and they are often both exceedingly painful and physically debilitating. Because the spinal cord is part of the body’s system for coordinating movement, a severe spinal cord injury can cause complete or partial paralysis.

These are all extremely serious injuries that often result in extensive medical costs along with extreme physical and emotional consequences.

Your Damages

If you’ve sustained injuries in an intersection car accident, you’re likely to suffer a variety of damages that begin with property damage to your car and costly medical expenses and that proceed from there. Beyond these expenses, you will probably lose hours and wages on the job. If your injuries are extensive, you could even suffer a diminished earning potential in the future. Further, car accidents are traumatic—especially when someone else’s negligence leaves you injured—and the emotional repercussions can be among the most difficult to overcome.

Contact Our Car Accident Law Firm Today to Schedule a Free Case Evaluation

If another driver left you injured in an intersection car accident, you need experienced legal counsel. These accidents are not only highly dangerous, but they also lead to complicated claims. Your rights and your rightful compensation, however, are too important to leave to chance; the dedicated legal team at Trust Guss Injury Lawyers is standing by to help. Our nationally recognized car accident law firm has the skill, commitment, and compassion to get you the compensation you deserve. We’ve aggressively advocated for the rights of car accident victims for decades. Because we take all of our personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, you will not owe us a DIME unless we win your case. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so call us today at 800-898-4877 or contact us now by CLICKING HERE.