What To Do If A Driver Runs Red Light And Causes Accident In Houston

Car crashes at intersections are not uncommon at all, in fact, by one estimate, almost 50% of all fatal police-recorded traffic accidents happen at intersections. This includes intersections equipped with traffic lights to direct traffic flow and to avoid such problems.

However, these safety measures do not always prevent a crash, in fact, thousands of accidents happen every year in the USA, despite such protection; many of these accidents turn out to be fatal crashes. Negligence and gross misconduct on part of a driver can mess things up badly.

Violating traffic signals may seem insignificant and “not much of a deal,” but the consequences can be quite disastrous. If you were injured in such a crash where the liable driver had violated the traffic signal, you have every right to sue them for financial compensation.

Since Texas follows at-fault insurance laws, you are entitled to a settlement from the at-fault party. Just be sure to call a car accident lawyer in Houston as soon as something like this happens so that they can help you prepare a bulletproof case and claim the maximum compensation on your behalf.

Read on to explore the topic further.

What If Someone Fails To Stop At The Red Light?

It may seem a bit redundant (that’s because it is) but everyone must stop for the red light – red means stop, not go faster! Failing to stop at the traffic signal is gross negligence on part of the driver and they can be held liable if this leads to any losses for someone else.

But even if there is no crash, violating traffic signals will have legal consequences for the negligent driver. The biggest cause for such a miscalculation is the uncertainty of whether you’ll be able to cross the intersection before the light turns red.

You should ideally slow down first and then cross the signal.

If you feel that it is not possible to cross the signal before it turns red, you should stop (it's not worth the risk, especially for yellow lights).

However, in some cases, the red-light runners may have been engaged in drunk driving, texting while driving, speeding, and so on, thus making your case pretty straightforward.

Red Light Swearing Match – What Is It & How To Deal With It?

It’s pretty obvious that in the case of a motor vehicle accident, the driver who violated the traffic laws will be considered liable for the damages sustained by the other party. But what if both drivers start blaming each other for the same thing?

A red light swearing match happens when both parties involved in a crash start claiming that they did not violate the traffic signal and that it was the other party who did so. This does not happen always but is more common than you think so be prepared for it.

Ideally, you should not discuss fault at the accident scene even if it is pretty obvious, instead, just exchange information with the other driver, gather evidence (photos, videos, and witness contact info), and report the matter to the police.

But if the other driver blames you for violating a traffic signal, don’t admit even a fraction of the fault. If one side, realizing that their narrative is not strong enough, caves, the case will become very straightforward, and claiming the compensation for damages will be quite easy.

However, if both sides stick to their claims and don’t accept the blame, then a legal tussle between becomes inevitable.

Proving A Red Light Swearing Match

The only way you can prove that the other party did indeed violate the traffic signal if they’re adamant that they did not, is through irrefutable evidence or independent witness testimonies.

If you saw someone else in the area, be sure to approach them and ask them politely to share what they witnessed. Ask for their contact information as well because you’ll need their support later on as well.

When the police officers show up, they’ll ask independent witnesses what they saw when the collision happened and then conclude their report accordingly. But sometimes, you either don’t have witnesses at hand or you may not need them as much.

For instance, if there were security cameras nearby (or traffic light cameras – if they can record), then the video of vehicles involved will clear things up; light camera citations often settle the dispute in such matters when there are no witnesses.

Bringing Matters To Trial

If nothing else works, then you’ll have to settle matters in court. But without eyewitness testimonies and evidence, the tussle becomes too risky for lawyers to invest their resources and time in the case.

Unless, of course, if your narrative is convincing enough, or if you can pull out some other facts that might help you make your point, i.e. perhaps the other driver was using their cellphone when the accident happened, if so, you’ll have a better chance at winning a favorable verdict.

But nothing is guaranteed in trials, keep that in mind.

In most cases though, matters usually settle via negotiations with the insurance adjuster, but that's only possible if you can establish negligence with certainty.

Can The Vehicle Driver With Green Light Be Partly At Fault?

Your problems don’t end with proving that the other party violated a traffic signal. You may have some share in the liability despite this. Eternal vigilance is your responsibility on the road and you must act responsibly in all circumstances to ensure driver safety.

Here’s what you need to take care of to avoid any share in fault in red light violation intersection accidents:

• Always yield the way to oncoming vehicles if you’re making a left turn across intersections with traffic; don’t rush things, play it safe.
• Don’t exceed the speed limit, if that happens, you’ll just as much in violation of traffic laws as the other fellow who violated the traffic signal.
• Be sure to keep a safe distance with the vehicle in front of you (the leading cause of rear-end accidents), enough to allow you to apply the emergency brakes safely.
• If people are crossing the street, whether the signal permits them or not, you should wait.

Just be responsible in general and you’ll be fine…

Contact Car Accident Lawyer in Houston Now To Get Started With Your Case

Your car accident lawyer in Houston should be the first person you discuss your case with, officially (not the insurance company rep). If you take on the challenge yourself, you won’t be able to claim a fair settlement because the insurance adjuster will find one or another to slash your payout and get you to settle for a nominal sum.

What’s even worse is that once you say or do something to undermine your position in the case, nothing can be done to reverse the damage. Thus, don’t hold back from calling a highly experienced car accident lawyer in Houston at Calhoun Meredith, because we’re ever eager to help.

Once we go through the details of your case and think that it is worth pursuing, we’ll handle the rest from there on, and you don’t have to worry about paying us either because our legal team works on a contingency fee agreement.

This means that you’ll only have to pay when you win your compensation for medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and non-economic damages.

Call us today for a free initial consultation with a car accident lawyer in Houston to commence the legal action!