Stop Sign Car Accident Lawyers
You don’t have to know how to drive to know what a stop sign means. Even a child can tell you that when you come across the bright red octagon with “STOP” written in white in the middle, you bring your car to a full stop.
Unfortunately, some drivers feel entitled to disregard even the basics of road safety. These drivers go through stop signs without a second thought. In some cases, that disregard leads to a car accident.
If you’ve been injured by a driver who disregarded a stop sign, you shouldn’t have to handle the consequences of that injury alone. At Garces, Grabler & LeBrocq, our stop sign car accident lawyers are committed to helping people injured by careless drivers get the compensation they deserve. Reach out to us to set up a free consultation today!
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Right of Way and Stop Sign Accidents
Accidents at stop signs don’t always happen because a driver doesn’t care. Sometimes, these accidents occur because a driver misunderstands who has the right-of-way.
Two common right-of-way scenarios often lead to accidents:
Failure to Yield at Four-Way Stops
Sometimes, stop sign accidents happen because drivers are unsure of who has the right-of-way at a four-way stop that has no traffic lights. New Jersey law puts forth these rules to determine who has the right-of-way:
- The car that arrives first at the intersection has the right-of-way
- If two vehicles arrive at once, the car on the right goes first
- If you’re making a left turn, yield to pedestrians and traffic moving in a straight line
If a vehicle enters the intersection when it doesn’t have the right-of-way, you should still yield to it. Ultimately, not causing a car accident is the most important thing.
Not Understanding Two-Way Stops
Four-way stops have their own rules. But unfortunately, some people assume that every intersection is a four-way stop. A driver might get to a stop sign, stop, and then proceed forward, thinking cross-traffic will stop. When it doesn’t, an accident happens.
Two-way stops have a small sign under the stop sign indicating they are two-way stops. However, in some cases, drivers may miss this sign or not understand what it means — leading to the accident scenario described above.
Stop Sign Laws in New Jersey
Most people know that a stop sign means “stop.” New Jersey law makes it more specific.
Under the law, a driver may not drive through a stop sign unless “[t]he driver has first brought the vehicle or street car to a complete stop at a point within five feet of the nearest crosswalk or stop line marked upon the pavement at the near side of the intersecting street and shall proceed only after yielding the right of way to all vehicular traffic on the intersecting street which is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.”
However, under state law, drivers don’t only have to stop to avoid collisions with other vehicles. Stop signs are also meant to protect pedestrians.
State law also says that “[n]o driver of a vehicle or street car shall turn right at an intersecting street marked with a “stop” sign or “yield the right of way” sign unless the driver stops and remains stopped for pedestrians crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk, or at an unmarked crosswalk, into which the driver is turning.”
Ultimately, these laws boil down to this:
- When you come upon a stop sign, bring the car to a complete stop
- Check for oncoming cars and pedestrians
- When the path of travel is clear, you may continue
That sounds simple enough, but for a variety of reasons, stop sign accidents happen each day in New Jersey.
Common Stop Sign Accidents in New Jersey
Stop sign accidents often fall into one of several different categories. Many are caused by confusion over who has the right of way. However, this kind of confusion isn’t the only thing that can lead to accidents. These are a few of the other causes of stop sign accidents.
Unsafe Lane Changes
Unsafe lane changes are especially common at intersections where some lanes are turn lanes. While approaching a stop sign, a driver may suddenly see they need to be in a particular lane to get to where they need to go. In their hurry to change lanes, they might not check for other cars, and as a result, they may cause a crash.
Failing to Stop
Failing to stop is what most people think of when they imagine stop sign accidents. Some drivers blow right through stop signs without so much as tapping their brakes. If other cars happen to be crossing the intersection at the same time, an accident can occur.
However, “failure to stop” doesn’t have to mean driving right through stop signs with no hesitation. Some people come to a “rolling stop” at a stop sign, meaning they slow the car significantly without coming to a full stop. “Stops” like these are still illegal, and they are still risky enough to cause accidents.
Another kind of “failure to stop” accident comes when one car is stopped at a stop sign. The car behind them continues forward, not noticing that the vehicle is stopped or not noticing the stop sign. That car then rear-ends the vehicle stopped at the intersection.
Following Too Closely
Following another vehicle too closely greatly reduces your time to react if the other vehicle slows down or stops. Any time a vehicle follows another very closely, it increases the risk of a rear-end collision.
Stop lights and stop signs make these crashes even more likely. When the vehicle in front stops at a stop sign, the car following it may not have time to come to a complete stop. In that case, it will rear-end the vehicle in front.
Obstructed Signs
If a driver can’t see a stop sign, they can’t obey it. In some cases, stop sign accidents happen because a stop sign is obstructed. For instance, if a stop sign is near a large bush, the bush could grow large enough that it completely obscures the sign.
If you are injured in a stop sign accident caused by an obstructed sign, you likely wouldn’t have a personal injury case against the other driver. But that doesn’t mean you have no case at all. Generally, your city (or the government entity responsible for maintaining road signs) is the negligent party in accidents like this.
Of course, each case is different, so your attorney will review the facts of your case and determine who is responsible for your injury.
Mechanical Failure
Mechanical failure isn’t an especially common cause of stop sign accidents.
However, if a car has a mechanical issue — like a sudden brake failure — it may go through a stop sign even if the driver does everything right.
Cases like these can be complex when it comes to determining negligence. The mechanical failure might be the fault of the manufacturer, the owner of the car, or even a repair shop that has worked on the vehicle.
How Do You Prove Fault in a Stop Sign Accident?
Many stop lights in New Jersey are equipped with red light cameras. Unfortunately, there’s usually no such thing as a stop sign camera.
However, you don’t need video footage of a driver going through a stop sign to prove they caused the accident. There are three main ways a legal team can establish proof that a driver ran a stop sign.
Police Reports
In most cases, when they create an accident report, police will include details about how the crash happened, including who caused it and how they did so. The police report is one of the first documents your attorney will look at.
After the accident, make sure to contact your local police precinct and ask for a copy. Alternatively, your lawyer might be able to get a copy for you.
Witnesses
Witnesses can be extremely valuable when it comes to proving how an accident happened. If you are in a condition to talk to witnesses at the scene, ask them for their contact information so your attorney can follow up with them later.
Getting witness contact information is always easier right at the scene of the accident. However, if you were unable to do so, there’s still a good chance you can get it after the fact. Police often speak with witnesses when putting together accident reports, so you may be able to get names or contact information through the police report.
If the accident occurred in an area close to homes or businesses, it may be worthwhile to visit those homes and businesses to see if anyone there saw the accident happen.
Camera Footage
In cases where a driver runs a stop sign, camera footage often is not an option. However, if there are no intersection cameras nearby, your legal team can still try to get video footage from other sources.
For example, if the stop sign in question is in a residential neighborhood, a doorbell camera may have picked up the accident. In an area with many businesses, security cameras may have footage.
Injured at an Intersection? GGL Is Here to Help
Car accidents often have far-reaching consequences that impact your finances, career, physical health, and mental health.
At Garces, Grabler & LeBrocq, we believe that drivers who run stop signs and cause accidents should be held accountable. Since 1991, we’ve been recovering compensation for injured people just like you.
If you’ve been injured in a stop sign accident, we may be able to help. Give us a call at 800-923-3456 or get in touch with us online to set up a free case review. You pay nothing unless we win.
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