Individuals who legally have the right-of-way in an intersection should not have to worry about another vehicle entering the intersection illegally. Unfortunately, many of the T-bone collisions that occur each year in Missouri are due to drivers failing to obey traffic signals and signs. Innocent motorists and their passengers suffer the ramifications of another driver’s negligence.
Law enforcement officials investigating T-bone crashes often cite drunk drivers, distracted drivers and reckless drivers as the responsible parties. These drivers fail to see and/or obey stop signs or red traffic lights and proceed through an intersection without noticing that another vehicle is already in it. In the blink of an eye, the lives of everyone involved can be altered forever.
Sometimes, malfunctions in traffic signals cause multi-vehicle accidents. Government entities in the area are responsible for maintaining the traffic lights to ensure that they are always in proper working order to keep motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians safe. For instance, if traffic signals are green for all four directions, drivers may not be able to stop in time to avoid a collision with other vehicles in the intersection.
T-bone collisions at intersections can cause serious injuries or fatalities, depending on the circumstances. If you were the victim of this type of collision, or if you lost a loved to this type of tragedy, you have rights. Talk to a Missouri attorney regarding your options for filing a personal injury claim, or a wrongful death claim if you lost a loved one. Successfully establishing that the injuries — fatal or otherwise — were due to the negligence of another could result in an award of damages that could help defray the inevitable financial losses incurred in the aftermath of an accident.
