Seattle Failure to Yield Accident Lawyer

Our Seattle car accident lawyers understand the tremendous hardships that these types of accidents can create for victims, and we fight to help restore you to the person you were before your crash or at least get you as close as possible to a complete recovery. Call (206) 312-0954 or contact us online to set up a free consultation.

The right-of-way (sometimes abbreviated as ROW) commonly refers to a person’s right to turn or move through intersections, and Revised Code of Washington (RCW) §§ 46.61.180-46.61.220 are dedicated to the right-of-way. Failure to recognize another person’s right-of-way is also known as failure to yield.

A failure to yield can often lead to a traffic citation being issued, and motorists who receive too many violations in a certain period may have their driver’s licenses suspended. Worse yet, a failure to yield can also lead to a motor vehicle accident.

Did you suffer serious injuries or was your loved one killed in a car accident caused by another driver’s failure to yield the right-of-way in the Seattle area? Be sure that you retain legal counsel as quickly as you can.

Caffee Accident & Injury Lawyers understands how to prove the negligence of another driver and can fight to help you obtain all of the compensation you need and deserve. We will provide an honest and thorough evaluation of your case as soon as you call (206) 312-0954 or contact us online to take advantage of a free consultation.

Do I Need A Failure to Yield Accident Lawyer?

While another driver’s failure to stop or yield certainly seems like a glaring example of fault, it is vital that you understand that the driver’s insurance company is going to look for any way possible to deny liability. Insurers will immediately look at all aspects of the crash for which you could be assigned blame for contributing to or even causing an accident.

The general rule for most people who have been involved in automobile accidents is that they should avoid having any conversations with insurance company representatives. While agents will call and try very hard to make it seem like they are on the side of victims, the truth is that all insurance companies are in business to make money and they are only concerned about their bottom line.

An insurer could tell you that a claims adjuster has been assigned to your case, and then the claims adjuster typically will ask you to provide a recorded statement that they claim is just your opportunity to explain what happened. Do not be fooled. Recorded statements are when insurance companies attempt to gather as much overwhelming evidence as they can, usually by getting people to admit to certain degrees of fault unknowingly.

Some insurers will quickly offer you a lump sum settlement and then aggressively pressure you into accepting it. These offers are almost always much less than what people are entitled to, and you will want a lawyer specifically because they will know exactly what your case is worth and then work tirelessly to try and recover that amount.

Why Choose Caffee Accident & Injury Lawyers To Handle My Case?

Caffee Accident & Injury Lawyers has been serving clients in Seattle and surrounding areas of Washington since 2009. Our firm can make sure that you receive a just settlement that provides for all of your past, present, and future needs.

When an insurance company refuses to provide adequate compensation, we will not hesitate to file a lawsuit to try your case in court. Caffee Accident & Injury Lawyers does all of this on a contingency fee basis, so you only pay if you obtain a financial award.

Jeffrey R. Caffee earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame Law School and was a research assistant at the University of Notre Dame. He has been named one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers every year since 2013.

Mr. Caffee is a member of the Tacoma Pierce County Bar Association, King County Bar Association, and Washington State Bar Association. He received the American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section Trial Academy Scholarship in 2011 and was honored by The International Academy of Trial Lawyers in 2009 with an Award for Advocacy for distinguished achievement in the art and science of advocacy.

Types of Failure to Yield Accident Cases We Handle

As previously mentioned, Washington has many laws relating to the right-of-way. Some of the different kinds of failure to yield violations our firm handles include:

• A vehicle approaching an intersection, RCW § 46.61.180 — The driver on the left must yield the right-of-way to the driver on the right when two vehicles approach or enter an intersection at the same time.
• Nonfunctioning signal lights, RCW § 46.61.183 — Except when directed to proceed by a flagger, police officer, or firefighter, a driver approaching an intersection controlled by a traffic control signal temporarily without power must consider the intersection to be an all-way stop and yield the right-of-way following state law.
• Bicycle, moped, or street legal motorcycle at intersection with inoperative vehicle detection device, RCW § 46.61.184 — The operator of a bike, moped, or street legal motorcycle approaching an intersection controlled by a triggered traffic control signal which uses a vehicle detection device that is inoperative because of the size of a bicycle, moped, or street legal motorcycle is still required to come to a complete stop at the intersection. When a traffic control signal fails to operate after one cycle of the traffic signal, the operator can proceed directly through the intersection or turn left.
• Vehicle turning left, RCW § 46.61.185 — Any driver intending to turn left must yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction.
• Vehicle entering stop or yield intersection, RCW § 46.61.190 — Every driver approaching a stop sign must stop at a marked stop line or before entering a marked crosswalk or at the point nearest the intersecting roadway and yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another road. Any driver approaching a yield sign must slow down and stop when required for safety before yielding the right-of-way to a vehicle either in the intersection or approaching on a different road.
• Arterial highways designated—Stopping on entering, RCW § 46.61.195 — When stop signs are erected, a driver entering any arterial highway must come to a complete stop before entering the arterial highway.
• Stopping when traffic obstructed, RCW § 46.61.202 — A driver cannot drive onto any railroad grade crossing or enter an intersection or marked crosswalk unless there is enough space on the other side to accommodate their vehicle without obstructing the passage of pedestrians, railroad trains, or other vehicles.
• Vehicle entering the highway from private road or driveway, RCW § 46.61.205 — A driver must yield the right-of-way to all vehicles lawfully approaching on a highway when they are about to cross or enter a highway from another road.
• Operation of vehicles on approach of emergency vehicles, RCW § 46.61.210 — When an authorized emergency vehicle or police vehicle approaches appropriately and lawfully making use of an audible and visual signal, all other drivers must yield the right-of-way and move as close as possible to the right-hand edge of the roadway.
• Approaching emergency or work zones, RCW § 46.61.212 — On a highway with four or more lanes in which at least two lanes are intended for traffic proceeding in the same direction as the approaching vehicle, the driver approaching an emergency or work zone must proceed with caution and yield the right-of-way by either moving away from the lane or shoulder that an emergency or work zone vehicle is in or making a lane change. If a highway has less than four lanes, a driver is required to proceed with caution, reduce speed, and yield the right-of-way to every vehicle traveling in the proper direction by passing to the left at a safe distance. A driver should reduce speed and proceed with due caution when changing lanes or moving away is unreasonable or unsafe.
• Highway construction and maintenance, RCW § 46.61.215 — A driver must yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian or authorized vehicle engaged in work upon a highway. A driver is also required to yield the right-of-way to an authorized vehicle working on a highway if the vehicle displays flashing lights.
• Transit vehicles, RCW § 46.61.220 — A driver must yield the right-of-way to any transit vehicle traveling in the same direction when it has signaled and is reentering traffic.

Failure to yield accidents can result in a wide variety of possible injuries. The severity of injuries can vary depending on multiple factors, such as the speeds of the vehicles involved, the point of impact, and where people were seated within vehicles.

Some of the most common kinds of injuries people suffer include, but are not limited to:

• Spinal cord injuries
• Lacerations
• Paralysis
• Internal organ injuries
• Fractures
• Muscle strains
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Sprains
• Neck injuries

It is also possible that some people may be killed in failure to yield accidents. When a person is killed in an automobile accident caused by another party’s negligence, it can be considered a wrongful death and family members may be entitled to file lawsuits in such cases.

Contact a Seattle Failure to Yield Accident Attorney Today

Were you severely hurt, hospitalized, or was your loved one was killed in a crash caused by another driver’s failure to yield the right-of-way in the greater Seattle area, you are going to want to find yourself an experienced personal injury attorney right away. Contact Caffee Accident & Injury Lawyers today.