Red and Yellow Light Accidents in Clearwater, FL

Intersections are dangerous. In Florida, intersection accidents caused over 1,000 deaths and 100,000 injuries in 2021, according to the Florida Crash Facts Report. The injuries from these car accidents can range from chest bruises to permanent brain damage.

As a result, you may need personal injury compensation after getting injured in a red or yellow light accident. Your injuries could disable you from working and caring for your family. You may need expensive surgeries and therapy to repair the damage. And you may suffer both mental and physical anguish.

The Clearwater car accident lawyers at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers can help you pursue compensation for your losses. Contact our law firm in Clearwater today for a free consultation after a red or yellow light accident in Clearwater, FL at (727) 787-2500.

How Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Red or Yellow Light Accident in Clearwater, FL

How Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Red or Yellow Light Accident in Clearwater, FL

Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers was founded over 26 years ago in Clearwater, Florida, to assist accident victims in their pursuit of injury compensation. Our team includes a board-certified civil trial lawyer, and our Clearwater car accident attorneys have over 50 years of combined legal experience.

Every client who hires us for legal representation receives the following:

  • An experienced attorney dedicated to securing the best possible outcome
  • A legal team with a track record of successfully recovering over $120 million in settlements and damage awards
  • An aggressive legal strategy to take your case to trial if the at-fault party’s insurer will not settle on fair terms

We understand the mental and physical trauma of being in a car accident. Contact Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation to discuss the financial compensation we can pursue for your injuries.

How Many Red and Yellow Light Accidents Happen in Florida?

A red light accident happens when a driver runs a red light. In other words, the driver went through a red signal when they were supposed to stop. These accidents constitute a clear violation of Florida’s traffic laws that require drivers to stop when facing a steady red signal.

Red light violations in 2021 caused over 33,000 crashes, according to the Crash Facts Report.

Yellow light accidents are slightly different. Unlike red lights, drivers can go through an intersection when facing a steady yellow light. But the yellow light places them on notice that the light may change before they cross the intersection.

Failures to yield the right of way caused over 156,000 traffic accidents in 2021. Keep in mind that not all of these crashes happened due to running a yellow light. Some happened at yield signs, stop signs, and uncontrolled intersections with driveways or parking lots.

But even accounting for these types of accidents, red and yellow light crashes are two of the top causes of intersection crashes in Florida.

Causes and Outcomes of Red and Yellow Light Crashes

Some causes of red and yellow light accidents in Clearwater, FL, include:

Regardless of the cause, these crashes are extremely dangerous. When a driver runs a red or yellow light, vehicles can collide in a side-impact crash. These are some of the most dangerous crashes, according to the National Safety Council.

Side-impact and angle crashes make up about 33% of all collisions. But they cause roughly 45% of all car accident fatalities and injuries. In other words, they are much more likely to cause a fatal or non-fatal injury than a rear-end or sideswipe collision.

Accidents in 2021 resulting from running a red light in Florida caused:

  • 97 deaths
  • 781 serious injuries
  • 3,865 minor injuries
  • 7,773 possible injuries

Accidents resulting from a failure to yield the right of way in Florida caused:

  • 474 deaths
  • 3,105 serious injuries
  • 15,649 minor injuries
  • 30,869 possible injuries

Not every failure to yield occurred at a yellow light. However, red and yellow light accidents in 2021 killed between 97 and 571 people in Florida. They may have also injured as many as 62,000 people.

Liability for Red and Yellow Light Accidents in Clearwater, Florida

In Florida, the state’s no-fault insurance system compensates accident victims after minor injuries. As a result, injured people can only pursue a claim against the at-fault driver when their medical bills exceed their insurance policy limits, or they suffer a significant, permanent injury.

If either of these situations applies, you can pursue a claim by showing that the other driver’s negligent actions caused your accident. Negligence means the driver failed to exercise ordinary care and, as a result, caused your injuries.

In a red light accident, proving negligence is relatively straightforward. The driver who ran the red light is liable for any resulting injuries.

In a yellow light accident, some additional work may be needed because running a yellow light is not illegal in Florida. Instead, you must show that running a yellow light was unreasonably dangerous under the circumstances.

For example, suppose the light changed to red while the other driver was in the intersection. You may be able to prove they bear the liability for your injuries.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Clearwater Car Accident Lawyers After a Red or Yellow Light Crash

Injuries from a car accident in Pinellas County can require costly treatment and disable you from earning a living. Contact Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your intersection accident and the compensation you may be entitled to.

Our law firm handles all types of car accident cases involving:

Additional Clearwater Car Accident Resources