San Diego Intersection Accident Attorney

Intersections connect San Diego roadways with motorists moving in opposite and perpendicular directions. They require critical decision-making behaviors from drivers and adherence to traffic laws, traffic signs, and signal lights. Because all of these components converge in intersections, it’s little wonder that these are where most San Diego car accidents happen. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) warns that half of all traffic accident injuries and one-quarter of fatalities occur in intersection accidents.

What Types of Accidents Occur in Intersections In San Diego?

Despite improvements in guided intersection technologies like traffic lights and pedestrian crossing signals, accidents in intersections continue to occur regularly. Common types of intersection accidents in San Diego and across the U.S. include the following:

• Rear-end collisions: these commonly happen when a driver fails to slow to a stop while the vehicle directly in front stops at an intersection, or when a driver speeds through a yellow light to avoid a red light and has a rear-end collision with a car in front of them
• T-bone accidents: also called side-impact collisions, angle collisions, or broadside accidents, these occur when a driver fails to yield the right of way and collides with a vehicle already in the intersection
• Pedestrian accidents: most pedestrian accidents occur in intersections when drivers fail to yield the right of way at marked or unmarked crosswalks
• Left-turn accidents: these accidents commonly occur when a driver preparing to turn left focuses on traffic from the right and fails to see a car, motorcycle, pedestrian, or cyclist approaching from the left
• Aggressive driving accidents: when an aggressive driver intentionally weaves through traffic in an intersection or runs a red light or stop sign, it can cause serious accidents, including multicar accidents

Car accidents, commercial truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents all happen in intersections more than any other roadway locations.

What Should I Do After an Intersection Accident in San Diego?

After an intersection accident, if injuries are severe you may be unable to do anything but wait for help, but if you’re able to use your phone even from your position or by handing it to an uninjured person to use for you, it becomes a critical tool for protecting your physical and financial safety.

Use your phone to call 911 to report the intersection accident and request help. Then, use the camera to take photos of the accident scene, including the intersection, traffic signs or signals, and the positions of the damaged vehicles. This preserves evidence before emergency services move the vehicles to restore traffic flow. Then, add the contact names of the other driver(s) and any eyewitnesses to the accident.

Be careful not to say anything that can be construed as admitting fault, and go straight to the hospital for a thorough evaluation. Ask for a detailed medical report and a copy of the police report. Then, be sure to meet all deadlines for reporting the accident to your insurance company and the DMV.

How Can an Intersection Accident Attorney in San Diego Help?

Determining which driver had the right of way in an intersection accident isn’t as easy as it might seem and insurance companies typically point the finger at the other driver or attempt to assign injury victims an undue percentage of fault for the accident. An experienced personal injury attorney investigates the accident, compiles evidence of liability, and safeguards your rights and best interests throughout the process. Call the San Diego car accident lawyers at Haffner & Morgan so we can begin working on a strategy to obtain the maximum compensation available for your damages like medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering.