Traffic Laws Surrounding Fault in a Car Accident

There is often confusion over even simple rules of the road.

Each day, thousands of people get injured in car accidents, and many of them lose their lives. A major reason behind these accidents is that an average driver does not really understand right of way rules and many fail to follow these rules on the road. Even when there is a collision, not many people understand who was at fault. There is some serious confusion over even simple rules of the road.

Intersection Collision Involving a Vehicle Coming From Either Right or Left on the Cross Street

If your light was red and their light was green when the crash occurred, it is often assumed that the accident was your fault because you violated the signal. However, this may not always be true. According to Missouri law, if you entered the intersection when the light was still yellow, and it turned red thereafter, you have the right to cross the intersection. If the other vehicle quickly entered the intersection immediately upon the green signal and caused a collision, they may be found to be at fault. This is because your vehicle was already within the intersection and you had the right of way. The law states that the vehicles that has the green signal must wait and yield to the vehicles and pedestrians that have already entered the intersection.

Vehicles Traveling Straight Through an “Unregulated” Intersection

A vehicle traveling straight through an unregulated intersection does not have the right of way over right or left turning or non turning vehicles that arrive at the intersection ahead of them. The vehicle arriving first has the right of way at an unregulated intersection. In fact, there is no such thing as an unregulated intersection, there are regulations to be followed even if there are no physical controls present or they are not working. If both vehicles arrive at the same time, the vehicle turning to the right has right of way.

Moreover, the driver of the vehicle that is within the intersection and intends to turn to the left shall yield to the vehicles approaching from the opposite direction and is either too close that it is hazardous or is within the intersection.

Comparative Fault Law

Missouri has comparative fault law. This means, even if you are partially at fault for the accident, you may still be able to recover damages, but the amount awarded is reduced by the percentage of fault.