Pittsburgh Intersection Accident Lawyers

The Dedicated Personal Injury Lawyers At Goodrich & Geist, P.C. Will Fight For Your Rights After An Intersection Accident

Hundreds of thousands of accidents occur every year at intersections. Truck, passenger vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian accidents are all highly common at intersections. Anywhere that two roads meet or cross is an intersection. Even though approaching, crossing, and turning at intersections are routine parts of driving for most people, some intersections can be challenging to navigate, and others may pose serious yet avoidable dangers. When different drivers with different levels of driving skill and expertise cross each other in intersections in different types of vehicles, accidents can occur. One National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study found that intersection accidents represented about 40% of motor vehicle accidents in the United States – this amounts to over two million accidents every year. The physical and financial losses that accrue from these accidents run in the hundreds of billions of dollars every year. If you were involved in an intersection accident, contact the Pittsburgh Intersection Accident Lawyers with Goodrich & Geist, P.C. to file a claim.

How Intersection Accidents Occur And How Our Trusted Attorneys Can Help

Intersections are usually two-, three-, or four-way crossings of roads, but roundabouts, on- and off-ramp interchanges, and where your private driveway meets the road are also classified as intersections. Intersection accidents can involve heavy commercial trucks, school buses, small and large passenger vehicles, delivery vans, motorcycles, and pedestrians. They can lead to serious long-term physical injuries and are often lethal, with roughly 7,000 people losing their lives every year in intersection accidents, as per the NHTSA.

Causes of intersection accidents and the factors that can contribute to an accident include the following:

• Atmospheric conditions: Poor lighting, wind, and slick surfaces due to snow or rain can lead to an accident.
• Vehicle speed and condition: A large vehicle traveling at high speed will be harder to stop before an intersection than a smaller, lighter vehicle traveling more slowly. Faulty brakes, poor maintenance, and/or malfunctioning brake lights can also increase the likelihood of an intersection accident occurring.
• Driver age, experience, and mental condition can also cause or contribute to an intersection accident. Driver fatigue, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and distractions such as cell phone usage or distraction can lead to an accident.
• Road issues: Poor road design and visual obstructions that prevent drivers from seeing traffic control signs or devices or warning signs can also lead to an intersection accident.

Other causes of intersection accidents include:

• Incorrectly predicting the actions or responses of other drivers or road users.
• Illegal maneuvers in an intersection.
• Following another vehicle too closely.
• Making frequent or erratic lane changes.
• Failing to yield the right of way to another vehicle because of inexperience or a lack of training.

For some of these factors, the primary cause of the accident is clear. For example, if a speeding, distracted, or drowsy driver runs a stop sign, a red light, or does not yield when entering an intersection, assigning fault to such a driver is fairly straightforward. However, accidents caused by visual obstructions such as overgrown shrubbery and accidents that occurred because important roadway signs were knocked down can be harder to assign to any single party. The same applies to vehicle maintenance issues which may be the fault of a vehicle owner, operator, or maintenance crew.

Here is how our Pittsburgh Intersection Accident Lawyers and our auto accident team can help you.

• We will gather evidence to prove fault for your accident.
• We will quantify your losses and damages.
• We will help you understand the laws and insurance rules and policies that apply to your case.
• We will help you file a claim within the applicable deadlines.

Types Of Intersection Accidents That The Pittsburgh Intersection Accident Lawyers Team Can Handle For You

Vehicles can strike each other, pedestrians, or roadside property in many different ways. Here are a few examples.

• Rear-end collisions often occur when one vehicle follows another one too closely and does not have enough time to slow down or stop in response to changes to traffic control signals or changing road conditions or traffic patterns.
• Side-impact accidents often occur when one vehicle fails to yield at a yield sign, runs a stop sign, runs a red light, or executes a maneuver out of turn at an intersection.
• Head-on collisions often occur on narrow lanes and on roads that do not have separating barriers or medians between traffic lanes. If a vehicle crosses lanes in an intersection or swerves to avoid an accident, the driver can cause a head-on collision with oncoming traffic.
• Blindspot accidents can occur if a driver does not properly check his or her surrounding lanes and intersecting roads before changing lanes, turning, or braking. Doing so can lead to a sideswipe or blind spot accident. Road users such as pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists are particularly at risk for these kinds of accidents.

Our Dedicated Pittsburgh Intersection Accident Lawyers Are Here to Help

Whether your intersection accident was caused by a mechanical failure, driver errors, or roadway issues, we are here to help. Contact the Pittsburgh Intersection Accident Lawyers at Goodrich & Geist, P.C. for a free case evaluation. We will walk you through what you need to know about your case and will fight for the compensation you are entitled to.

Frequently Asked Questions About Intersection Accidents