San Diego Intersection Accident Attorneys

Advocating for the Victims of Auto Accidents

Every driver has sat an intersection and seen another vehicle speed through a red light or ignore a stop sign, often narrowly avoiding an accident. We hope other drivers to obey standard traffic laws so that there’s no chance that we’ll be involved in an intersection accident, but the risk of cross-traffic makes intersections one of the most dangerous places on the road. Vehicles can meet in the center of the road, causing T-bone collisions, or side-swipe bikes and motorcycles when turning. Pedestrians are especially at risk of being struck by a reckless driver, even if they follow all safety procedures for crossing the street.

Intersection accidents can result in devasting, life-changing injuries that follow victims long after a collision. Most will accept a low settlement in the hopes of moving past the incident as quickly as possible, but insurance companies rarely provide the proper compensation for a victim’s injuries. If you have been injured in an intersection accident as a result of another driver’s negligence, then you should not hesitate to contact a San Diego car accident attorney with jD LAW at (760) 630-2000. If we take your case, our expert legal team will provide a thorough investigation into your case to ensure you receive full and proper compensation to aid in your recovery.

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What Are the Causes of Intersection Accidents?

Despite safety tools like traffic lights, road markings, and stop signs, intersections are extremely unpredictable, especially in Southern California. Drivers are often confused about proper driving etiquette, misjudging whether they have the right of way, swerving into bicycle lanes, or making an incomplete “California stop”. Negligent drivers often cause intersection accidents because of:

• Distracted driving
• Aggressive driving
• Drug or alcohol-impaired driving
• Speeding
• Failure to obey stop signs and signals
• Failure to yield the right-of-way
• Poor signage
• Road construction
• Lack of visibility around corners
• Drivers executing left-hand turns

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Left-Hand Turn Accidents at Intersections

Most intersections have clear guidelines for making left turns at intersections, either with “Yield on Green” signs or traffic lights to avoid accidents. Despite these measures, left-hand turns are involved in significantly more accidents than right turns. California state law requires drivers turning left to yield the right-of-way to oncoming vehicles. In addition, they must ensure they have adequate room to execute the turn without interrupting the flow of traffic or colliding with other drivers. This can be a tricky skill to learn, and when not done properly it can result in high-impact collisions.

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Comparative Liability in California Intersection Accidents

When preparing an insurance claim or personal injury case, it is important to understand how the state of California views auto accidents. Auto accidents are governed under comparative fault, meaning that multiple parties can be held at fault for an accident. Even if the other driver ran a red light, the accident may not be 100% their fault, at least in the eyes of the law. Insurance companies and juries may determine that your vehicle was in disrepair, such as having worn-out tires or old brakes, and should have been able to make a complete stop to avoid the accident. This may decrease the size of your compensation by the percentage of fault attributed to you.

If you attempt to file a claim with an insurance company without a personal injury attorney, the insurance company will try to maximize the amount of fault attributed to you. If you are found to be 50% or more at fault for an accident, you will receive no compensation. However, if you contact an attorney immediately following an accident, we can advocate for the maximum amount of damages and provide counterarguments against any fault attributed to you.

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Recovering Compensation After a Vehicle Collision

Following an accident, you could be saddled with expensive medical bills and property damage to your vehicle. You may feel tempted to immediately reach out to the at-fault driver’s insurance company and accept their offer. However, you must remember that insurance companies are focused on paying out the smallest amount of compensation and will try to downplay the costs of an accident. Their settlement offers often only include the bare minimum coverage for medical bills and repair costs to your vehicle, and will not consider lost wages, pain and suffering, mental trauma, and the long-term effects of your injuries. They may even try to attribute the majority of the fault on you and deny your claim.

Instead of reaching out to an insurance company following an accident, you should reach out to an experienced auto accident attorney. At jD LAW, our legal team can review your case and advocate for the maximum amount of compensation owed to you. We will work with accident investigators, doctors, and financial experts to advocate on your behalf, both during negotiations with the insurance company and at trial. Contact us at (760) 630-2000 as soon as you are able to ensure you receive proper compensation after an intersection accident.

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Additional Information

• Fatal 15: San Diego's Most Dangerous Intersections - NBC 7
• Traffic Signals - City of San Diego