When we drive, we owe one another a duty of care that includes following the rules of the road, and yielding the right-of-way appropriately is an important element of this. When motorists fail to yield the right-of-way when they are required to do so, serious injuries are often the result. If another driver’s failure to yield leaves you injured, reach out to an experienced Boca Raton car accident attorney for the professional legal guidance you need.
The Obligation to Yield
There are specific events that require drivers to yield the right-of-way, which means to allow the motorist or motorists who have the right-of-way to proceed safely. These events include:
- When entering an intersection – whether at a stop sign, at a stop light, at a warning light, or at a yield sign
- When leaving one’s lane of traffic
- When lanes merge
- When entering a road – whether from another road, from an entrance, or from an alley, business, parking lot, driveway, or private road
- When entering a traffic circle or traffic island
It is important to note that, because they represent the confluence of traffic traveling in every direction, intersections are especially susceptible to accidents involving failure to yield.
Florida Yield Laws
In the State of Florida, there are highly specific yield laws that include:
- Every motorist must stop at stop intersections and must not proceed until directed to do so by the signal, or – if no signal – must yield the right-of-way to any vehicles that have already entered the intersection from another road or that are so close to entering that it amounts to a hazard.
- At four-way stops, the first to stop is the first to proceed, and when motorists arrive at the same time, the rightmost driver is the first to proceed.
- At yield signs, every motorist must slow down to a speed that reasonably accommodates the conditions in the intersection, and if conditions are such, drivers facing yield signs must stop. From here, motorists must proceed as they would at a stop sign.
Motorists who leave their lanes or merge into traffic are responsible for doing so safely, which includes yielding the right-of-way as appropriate.
Common Injuries
Accidents involving failure to merge can lead to very serious impacts and very serious injuries, including:
- Broken bones that are exceptionally painful and slow to heal and that can also lead to serious complications
- Traumatic brain injuries that can be as emotionally damaging as they are physically
- Spinal cord injuries that are closely associated with chronic pain and a severe decrease in range of motion
- Serious burns and cuts that are extremely vulnerable to dangerous infections and that, when on or near the face, can lead to disfigurement
Turn to an Experienced Boca Raton Car Accident Attorney for the Legal Help You Need
The Boca Raton car accident attorneys at Demand the Limits Personal Injury Attorneys take great pride in their impressive track record of helping clients like you favorably resolve their claims. Your claim is important, so please don’t hesitate to contact us online or call us at (561) 853-2137 to schedule your free consultation today.
