Intersections, by definition, bring together at least two roads with traffic moving in different directions. With that in mind, and especially in a city as bustling as Nashville, TN, a careless, distracted, or intoxicated driver can cause serious collisions at intersections. These may even include head-on crashes if they cross over to the wrong side of the road.
The liability for Nashville intersection crashes is usually clear-cut since the area’s traffic laws define who has the right of way. But you can always turn to Labrum Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers to help you sort out the details and determine who bears responsibility for any injuries you may sustain.
If you were hurt in a collision, contact our experienced Nashville car accident lawyers at (615) 685-8546 for a free initial consultation.
How Labrum Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After an Intersection Accident in Nashville, TN
With over a decade of legal experience, the team of car accident attorneys at Labrum Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers has successfully represented hundreds of clients in Nashville, Tennessee. We battle at-fault parties and their powerful insurers to obtain fair financial compensation.
If someone else’s negligent or wrongful actions injure you on the road in Nashville, our firm will provide you with the following legal services:
- Listening to your story and analyzing your options for pursuing compensation
- Collecting evidence and medical records to support your case
- Preparing an insurance claim and negotiating with the insurer to settle it fairly
- Litigating aggressively to resolve your case in court if the insurer refuses to settle
A car accident can leave you with painful injuries and long-term disabilities that prevent you from earning a living. Contact our Nashville personal injury lawyers for a free consultation to learn how we can help you recover the financial compensation you need for your medical bills and living expenses.
How Many Tennessee Car Accidents Happen in Intersections?
Tennessee does not release crash statistics that specifically identify the number of intersection crashes the state experiences. However, the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security does provide a report listing the traffic violations that lead to collisions in the state.
With the report, you can estimate that thousands of crashes resulted from violations occurring at intersections.
In 2023, specifically, these violations and their associated crash numbers for Davidson County covering the Nashville metro area included the following:
- 1,005 crashes resulting from a failure to obey traffic controls
- 3,979 collisions due to a failure to yield the right of way
- 837 accidents caused by improper turns
Bear in mind that a crash report can include up to five violations per accident. Thus, these do not necessarily represent the only factors involved in the crash. Nevertheless, these violations make up 50.2% of the violations identified in Davidson County crashes during 2023.
Determining Liability For Intersection Crashes
The following common scenarios can result in intersection collisions and other auto accidents:
- A driver turns left across the path of a vehicle or pedestrian
- A driver turns right at a red light into oncoming traffic or across a crosswalk
- A driver goes out of turn at a stop sign
- A car in the intersection gets hit when the light changes
- A vehicle gets hit from behind when slowing or stopping at an intersection
Determining the liability for these collisions depends on the following three general principles:
Right-of-Way Rules
Just as in any other city, Nashville’s right-of-way laws determine which road user has the right to proceed and which must wait. A driver who violates these rules is liable for any resulting crash.
The following regulations are often violated, leading to intersection collisions:
- Stop for pedestrians and cyclists in crosswalks
- Yield to vehicles proceeding straight through the intersection when you’re making a turn
- Wait for the first vehicle to arrive at a multi-way stop to go first
- Yield to the vehicle on the right when multiple vehicles arrive simultaneously
- Treat inoperative traffic signals as four-way stops
When drivers fail to yield, they can cause angle or side-impact crashes, which can often cause serious injuries or fatalities. According to the National Safety Council, angle collisions, in particular, make up about 32.5% of all crashes but account for 46.2% of all fatal crashes and 64.8% of non-fatal injury crashes.
Maintain a Safe Following Distance
Intersection crashes can also occur when slowing for a red light or stop sign. Inattentive or distracted drivers might fail to see the other vehicle’s brake lights and slam into the back of said vehicle. The liability for these rear-end collisions falls on the driver who failed to maintain a safe following distance relative to their speed.
Signal Change Rules
Occasionally, drivers will immediately proceed when a traffic light turns green, even if there are still cars in the intersection waiting to turn. Under Tennessee law, drivers facing a green light must wait for any vehicles to move if they were lawfully in the intersection before the light changed. Drivers who fail to wait may bear the liability for any collisions that occur.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation With Our Nashville Intersection Accident Lawyers
Intersection collisions, particularly side-impact crashes, can cause serious or fatal injuries for Nashville drivers. Contact Labrum Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to learn how we can help you hold a careless driver liable for your injuries.
