One of the most common types of collisions involving two vehicles occurs when a car from a side street, parking lot, or driveway pulls out from a stop sign and cuts off traffic on the main road. These failure to yield crashes typically involve serious injuries for both parties. Such a crash recently occurred in Hermann, Missouri, when the driver of an SUV pulled out in front of a tourist trolly. The driver of the SUV was killed, and a total of eight trolly riders were seriously injured, according to Fox2Now News.
Failure to yield right of way is actually the fourth most common driving behavior involving fatal crashes, according to the Insurance Information Institute. If you were involved in a collision in which you or another driver pulled out from a side street, parking lot, driveway, or secondary street, and were struck as a result, you must contact a Kansas City, Missouri personal injury attorney immediately to ensure that your compensation is fair and that your personal injury claim is taken seriously.
How Do “Pulling Out” Collisions Happen?
A driver who pulls out to make a right turn, go straight across the road, or make a left turn has the duty to give cross traffic enough time and space to continue on its way without having to stop or slow down. It is the driver who is crossing or merging into a lane of traffic to give right of way, yet this does not always happen. Common causes of these failure to yield collisions include the following:
- Impatience or aggressive driving;
- Running a stop sign;
- Backing out into traffic (from a driveway, for example);
- The driver failed to judge the speed of cross traffic (due to distraction, for example);
- The driver failed to see cross traffic; and
- The at-fault vehicle was a long semi-truck that took a long time to make the tight turn, or even came into the opposing lane of traffic to make the turn.
When is the Pulling Out Driver Not at Fault?
A driver who pulls out from a parking lot or side street in front of another vehicle may not always be at fault. If the other driver who appeared to have had right of way was found to be doing any of the following, they may be held liable:
- Speeding;
- Running a red light or stop sign;
- Drinking and driving or driving under the influence;
- Texting and driving;
- Changing lanes at the last second without warning;
- Disobeying traffic signs;
- Accelerating through an intersection to “beat” a red light, or
- Other careless or reckless actions that violated the law.
Call One of Our Experienced Kansas City Failure to Yield Accident Attorneys
Failure to yield collisions are becoming more common as drivers who are on cell phones or looking at GPS screens take their eyes off the road. If someone pulled out in front of you, or if you were making a safe maneuver only to be T-boned by a speeding driver or someone who changed lanes at the very last second, you need to talk to an attorney. Call the Kansas City car accident attorneys of the Krause & Kinsman Law FIrm today.
