In Florida, running a red or yellow light is the second-most common cause of car accidents. Drivers who run a red or yellow light endanger all road users, including motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
Side-impact collisions that result from running a red or yellow light can cause severe injuries and death in Clearwater, Florida. Car manufacturers do not design airbags and seat belts for side impacts. As a result, these crashes leave vehicle occupants exposed to significant injuries.
Read on to learn about red and yellow light accidents and how you can get compensation for the injuries you suffer. Contact our Clearwater accident law office at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers for help. Call us at (727) 796-8282 to schedule a free consultation.
Table of Contents
How Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident in Clearwater
Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers was founded in 1955 as the first Pinellas County law firm to focus exclusively on personal injury cases. Over the past 67 years, the firm has helped thousands of clients recover hundreds of millions of dollars in injury compensation.
Some awards and recognitions earned by the firm’s Clearwater car accident lawyers include:
- AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating
- Board Certification in civil trial law from the Florida Board of Legal Specialization
- Florida Super Lawyers, according to SuperLaywers.com
Our experienced personal injury lawyers can help your case by:
- Investigating the extent and cause of the losses you’ve incurred
- Working to protect you from accusations of blame for the accident
- Negotiating on your behalf to reach a fair settlement and bring your case to court if need be
Injuries from a car accident can take a toll on your finances and health. To learn about the compensation you can seek for your car accident injuries, contact Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers in Clearwater, Florida, for a free consultation.
How Common Are Clearwater Red and Yellow Light Accidents In Clearwater, FL?
Florida provides three sources of traffic accident statistics: Florida’s annual Crash Facts Report, Crash Dashboard, and Traffic Safety Dashboard.
In Florida, red light running is the fifth most common cause of injury accidents and the eighth most common cause of fatal accidents, according to the Crash Facts Report. This means your likelihood of getting into an accident from someone running a red light is fairly low.
But when you add in yellow light running, the numbers jump significantly. In the Crash Facts Report, failure to yield the right of way is the second most common cause of injury and fatal accidents in Florida.
Clearwater sees similar numbers. On the Traffic Safety Dashboard, over 36% of traffic accidents in Clearwater happen at intersections. More importantly, nearly 57% of incapacitating injuries happen at intersections due in part to drivers who run red and yellow lights.
Overview of Clearwater Red and Yellow Light Accidents In Clearwater, FL
Drivers who run red or yellow lights create a significant collision risk. Traffic lights generally get installed at busy intersections, and red light runners end up crossing traffic.
These accidents usually result from:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Aggressive or impatient driving
- Driving under the influence of alcohol
- Improper left-turns
Clearwater’s accident statistics showcase the causes of red and yellow light running. The three hours between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. are the most common time for intersection crashes, according to the Traffic Safety Dashboard. Drivers are the most likely to speed, drive while distracted, or exhibit impatience while driving during morning rush hours.
Injuries from Red and Yellow Light Accidents
Red and yellow light accidents can cause two types of collisions. Red light accidents usually cause side-impact collisions. These are some of the most dangerous collisions because car manufacturers do not design airbags to deploy during side impacts. Unless your car has a side impact airbag in its door post, you will not have any airbag protection in a side impact crash.
Similarly, seat belts can cause more harm than good in a side impact. When a car hits your side, the seat belt can trap you next to the impact zone and hold you directly next to the door. If you were not wearing a seat belt, the impact might push you away from the door.
As a result, you might experience severe head, chest, abdominal, neck, and back injuries. If your side windows shatter, you could suffer facial and eye injuries from flying glass.
Yellow light accidents can cause rear-end crashes. Since cross-traffic has not yet started moving during a yellow light, the light runner will likely hit a vehicle that stops at the yellow light.
Yellow light accidents are less likely to cause a fatal injury because both vehicles are moving in the same direction. This reduces the crash energy. It also causes a collision that can trigger the car’s safety features, including seat belts and airbags.
The most common injuries from rear-end crashes include whiplash, concussions, and chest bruises from seat belts.
Liability for Red and Yellow Light Accidents
Florida is a no-fault state for car insurance, meaning by default, you will work with your own insurance company after a crash. However, if the accident was serious enough, you might be able to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver and obtain additional compensation.
Reach out to our Clearwater car accident lawyers for more information.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Car Crash Lawyers in Clearwater, FL
Red and yellow light accidents can cause significant injuries. More importantly, you can often clearly assign liability to the driver who ran the red or yellow light. To discuss how you can recover compensation with a Clearwater red and yellow light accident lawyer, contact Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.
Our law firm handles all types of car accident cases involving:
- Head-on Crashes
- Highway Crashes
- Hit and run Accidents
- Multi-vehicle Collisions
- Parking Lot Accidents
- Road Defects Accidents
- Rollover Accidents
- Self-Driving Car Accidents
- Single Vehicle Accidents
