Failing to yield causes thousands of injuries and deaths each year. The National Safety Council estimates that roughly 15% of all automobile accidents are caused when motorists fail to yield to traffic on the road. These types of accidents are the second-leading cause of automobile accident fatalities.
Failing to Yield Accidents in Nevada
Nevada law makes it clear what qualifies as a failure to yield. These rules of the road are intended to keep drivers safe and to ensure that traffic flows smoothly. Typical failure to yield accidents include the following:
- Failure to yield to vehicles that have the right-of-way at stop signs.
- Failure to yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks or on sidewalks.
- Failure to yield at red lights.
- Failure to yield to traffic entering the road or highway.
- Failure to yield to fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, and other emergency vehicles.
In 2013, the NTSC estimated that over 13,000 individuals were killed in failure to yield accidents. This makes them the second-leading cause of death after failing to keep in the proper lane of traffic.
Consequences of Failing to Yield
Failure to yield resulting in an accident can be particularly dangerous due to the zones of the vehicle they can impact. Often, failure to yield accidents result in sideswipes or “T-boning,” which means that many of the vehicle’s protective features can’t protect the vehicle’s occupants. This can cause serious physical injury that can include broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and lacerations.
Even with prompt and proper treatment, these injuries can result in significant medical expenses and lost income. They can also cause long-term emotional damage and potentially permanent loss of quality of life. In Nevada, an auto accident lawyer can help clients assess the damages incurred in the accident and begin the process of recovering these.
Assigning Liability in Failure to Yield Accidents
In most cases, it is the driver who failed to yield who is solely responsible for causing a failure to yield accident. Because Nevada is a tort state, the courts must determine the percentage of liability each of the individuals involved are responsible for. An auto accident lawyer can review accident reports, witness statements, and the evidence collected to ensure his or her clients aren’t assessed more than their appropriate share of responsibility. In Nevada, individuals may recover compensation if they are less than 50% responsible for causing the accident.
