Every licensed driver in Tennessee should know that they must come to a complete stop before proceeding past a STOP sign and that they must let oncoming traffic pass by before proceeding past a YIELD sign. In addition to obeying road signage, drivers must follow a series of rules regarding who has the right-of-way to advance into an intersection or roadway.
Failure to follow these rules is often the cause of serious traffic crashes in Music City and throughout the state of Tennessee—crashes which, unfortunately, can also make for deceptively complex civil cases.
If you have been hurt in a failure to yield car accident in Nashville and want to seek compensation for the harm you have suffered, contact an auto accident attorney at Ponce Law. The Tennessean’s Best of Music City Awards has repeatedly voted Ponce Law Nashville’s Best Law Firm.
Drivers approaching intersections must yield to vehicles already in the intersection, and drivers approaching roundabouts must yield to drivers already in the roundabout. Drivers approaching stop signs must yield both to oncoming drivers who do not have a stop sign and to drivers with stop signs who arrived at the intersection before them. If two or more drivers arrive at intersection stop signs simultaneously, each driver must yield to the vehicle on their right.
Outside of these scenarios, drivers turning left must yield to oncoming traffic traveling in the opposite direction, and drivers entering roadways from private driveways or alleys must yield to traffic already in the roadway. Finally, drivers must yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks, in unmarked crosswalks, and under most other circumstances.
Anyone who causes a car crash in Nashville by failing to follow these yield laws has violated their duty of care to act lawfully and responsibly behind the wheel, and they may be held liable for injuries stemming from that crash based on their own negligence.
Of course, knowing that someone else injured you by negligently failing to properly yield the right-of-way is one thing, and proving them legally liable for your ensuing injuries is another. Depending on the circumstances, there may be:
Fortunately, if you live in Nashville, you have assistance available from experienced legal professionals at Ponce Law who know:
In fact, we are the only law firm in the area with RoadProof, which allows us to download video footage straight from traffic cameras operated by the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Yielding the right-of-way is not just a matter of common courtesy—it is a requirement established by Tennessee state law that all drivers must adhere to at all times. Someone who causes an otherwise preventable crash that results in injury because they failed to meet this basic duty can and should be held financially liable for the consequences of their actions.
However, suing a driver for a failure to yield car accident in Nashville is often much easier said than done, especially if you try to do it alone. Call today to get help from our seasoned and dedicated auto accident attorneys at Ponce Law who can aggressively pursue justice on your behalf.
