As part of the duty of care they owe other people on the road around them, licensed drivers in Arizona are expected to obey traffic laws and patterns at all times, keep a close eye out for nearby obstacles and vehicles, and generally act like a rational person behind the wheel. One of the most common ways drivers breach this duty is also one of the most confusing: failing to properly yield the right-of-way to other people under the correct circumstances.
Even though Arizona state law is very specific about who has the right-of-way in every situation, many drivers still proceed out of turn or try to get other people to proceed out of turn and end up causing serious and ultimately preventable accidents. Fortunately, if you have been hurt in a failure to yield car accident in Tucson, you have assistance available from the auto accident lawyers at Phillips Law Group who have been helping the community for over three decades.
What Are the Right-of-Way Rules for Tucson Drivers?
All of the rules governing right-of-way in Arizona are established under Article 9 of the Transportation Code, which is located in Arizona Revised Statutes §§28-771 through 28-778. According to these laws, all drivers must slow down or stop and yield the right-of-way to the following people under the following circumstances:
- To pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks, or who have a guide dog or a cane to account for visual impairment
- To oncoming traffic when entering a road from another paved or unpaved road, an alleyway or driveway, a parking lot, or a highway on-ramp
- To oncoming traffic, including bicyclists and pedestrians, while turning left across an active roadway
- To drivers who reach a four-way stop intersection before they did
- To the vehicle to their right when approaching an uncontrolled intersection or when arriving at a four-way stop at the same time as one or more other vehicles
Drivers are also expected to yield to oncoming traffic when approaching posted yield signs. Anyone who violates these rules and causes a traffic accident in Tucson by failing to yield properly is likely liable for injuries and losses based on negligence.
Getting Past Legal Obstacles to Civil Recovery
If a failure to yield car crash in Tucson stems from two or more people acting negligently at the same time, each injured person can still seek restitution for at least some of their losses. However, any comparative fault assessed against someone else injured in a wreck like this will be held against them as a proportional reduction from their final damage award, per A.R.S. §12-2505.
On a similar note, A.R.S. §12-542 generally prohibits civil recovery altogether by anyone who fails to formally file suit more than two years after initially sustaining harm through another person’s negligence. These are just two of the many procedural roadblocks that a skilled legal professional can help navigate.
Work With a Tucson Attorney on a Failure to Yield Car Accident Claim
Obeying right-of-way laws at all times is vital to keeping yourself and everyone around you safe on public roads. If you have been injured because someone else did not follow these laws, they should bear the financial burden of paying for the losses your injuries cause you.
Guidance from a knowledgeable legal representative is essential to ensuring this happens after a failure to yield car accident in Tucson. Call Phillips Law Group today to speak with a member of our team and learn more about your legal options during a free consultation.
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