Stoplight Collisions

Stoplight collisions may be serious, particularly for a motorcyclist who is struck by a larger vehicle. Often, drivers of larger vehicles do not see motorcyclists because they are not expecting to see a smaller vehicle or because they are distracted. While the driver of a larger vehicle may be wholly unharmed by a stoplight collision, a motorcyclist has little or no protection against the force of impact by a larger vehicle. If you are a motorcyclist who has been injured in a stoplight crash, Maryville motorcycle accident lawyer Mark Hartsoe and the Hartsoe Law Firm may be able to help you seek compensation.

Stoplight collisions are often T-bone or broadside collisions in which a motorcyclist is struck from the side or the rear. Sometimes the motorcyclist may be in the intersection making a left turn when a distracted driver runs a red light, or the motorcyclist may stop at a yellow light that is about to turn red, and the driver behind him fails to stop in time. If you are able to establish that the other driver's negligence caused your injuries, you may be able to recover compensation.

If the other driver ran a red light or violated a safety law, and this was the cause of your injuries, you may have a cause of action for negligence per se, which means negligence as a matter of law. This cause of action may apply when a driver violates a safety law that was designed to guard against injuries of the type that you suffered, and the violation caused your injuries. It is important to get police to the scene of an accident in which you were injured, since a citation against the other driver may be persuasive evidence that a safety law was violated.

Sometimes stoplight collisions may be the fault of multiple drivers, including the accident victim. There may be real confusion, for example, if the stoplights are not functioning. Although each person is supposed to treat the situation as a four-way stop, not everyone remembers this rule. Sometimes more than one driver forgets to follow the rule for whose turn it is to go. Tennessee uses a system of modified comparative fault. You may recover compensation as long as you were 49% or less responsible for the crash. However, your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault.

If you establish liability, you probably will recover compensatory damages. These may include your medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment, and pain and suffering. Often, motorcyclists suffer catastrophic injuries in stoplight collisions, so the compensatory damages may be significant. If a drunk driver caused the wreck, you may also be able to recover punitive damages, which are damages that are intended to punish the drunk driver and deter future similar conduct.

If you are hurt or a loved one is killed in a stoplight collision while riding a motorcycle, Maryville motorcycle accident attorney Mark Hartsoe can evaluate your situation and possibly represent you in a claim or lawsuit. Sometimes insurers and juries are biased against motorcyclists, so it is important to retain an attorney who understands these types of cases and how to present what happened. To arrange a free consultation, call the Hartsoe Law Firm at 865-804-1011 or contact us online. Motor vehicle collision lawyer Mark Hartsoe helps victims throughout East Tennessee, including in Blount, Knox, Monroe, Loudon, Jefferson, Grainger, Cocke, Campbell, Hamblen, Greene, Anderson, Cumberland, and Fentress Counties.