Injured at a Tulsa Intersection? Time to Call a Lawyer

Most car accidents don’t just “happen.” Sure, a person can have a medical event that causes them to veer into another lane, or have a tire blow out and end up crashing into a tree. But most car accidents – the ones that aren’t caused by drunk or fatigued drivers – occur as people attempt to maneuver around cars around them. Common examples include accidents when cars pass other vehicles, merging accidents, and construction zone accidents.

Accidents at intersections are a major factor in serious, catastrophic, and deadly accidents in Tulsa and across Oklahoma. The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) reports that “more than 50 percent of the combined total of fatal and injury crashes occur at or near intersections.” They can also be challenging because there are usually multiple people and vehicles involved. If you’ve been involved in an intersection crash in or near Tulsa, don’t just accept an insurance settlement without talking with us first. A seasoned lawyer oftentimes makes the difference between obtaining a fair and just outcome and one that fails to compensate one for past and future harms and losses.

What do you mean by “intersection”?

While some are more frequently used and seen than others, the FHA is working on a myriad of types of intersection designs including “the modern roundabout, mini-roundabout, continuous flow intersections, restricted crossing U-turn intersections, and diverging diamond interchanges.”

The various types of intersections include:

• 4-way intersections with a traffic light, with a stop sign, or without any traffic lights or signs
• 5-way (or more) intersections
• 3-way (T) intersections
• Y intersections
• L intersections
• Roundabout and traffic circle intersections

What factors contribute to intersection accidents?

Some of the factors that contribute to intersection accidents include:

• Pedestrians and bicycle riders have the right to cross streets at most intersections unless there is a sign prohibiting such crossing. Drivers need to stop before they enter a crosswalk, not after they eventer the crosswalk.
• Drivers need to understand when they have the right to proceed and when they must obey stop signs, traffic signals, and other right-of-way rules.
• Drivers need to be in the proper lane to make a turn.
• Turning accidents can be especially dangerous especially when drivers are turning left across other lanes of travel.
• Trucks that turn at intersections often need to enter into other lanes of travel in order to complete their turns. Smaller vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians can easily end up in their blind spots.

What are the different types of intersection accidents in Tulsa?

Intersection accidents generally involve the following types of collisions:

• Rear-end collisions. These accidents usually involve one car hitting another one that is stopped at an intersection, or halfway through the intersection. Speeding, tailgating, and distracted driving are common causes of this type of accident. Rear-end accidents often cause whiplash, soft tissue injuries, broken bones, and more serious injuries – depending on the speed of the negligent driver at impact.
• Broadside accidents and accidents at an angle. These collisions occur when one car is going straight through an intersection and another vehicle is turning. Broadside accidents, also called T-bone, or side-impact accidents, usually happen when one driver violates the Oklahoma right- of-way laws. These accidents can cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, traumatic amputations, fractures, and other serious injuries usually because one vehicle directly strikes the driver or passenger side of the other vehicle.
• Sideswipe accidents. These accidents usually occur when the two vehicles that collide are traveling in the same or the nearly-same direction. For example, they may occur when a car in a left lane seeks to pass a car in a right lane that appears to be turning but doesn’t actually turn or turns too late.
• Head-on crashes. These crashes often cause catastrophic injuries or fatalities. Some of the contributing factors include disobeying a traffic light or stop sign, failing to stay in the proper lane, distracted driving, and other causes.
• Wide-turn accidents. Trucks, especially tractor-trailers, buses, and other large commercial vehicles are longer and wider than most cars. Commercial vehicle drivers need to use extra caution when turning because the rear of their vehicle can easily swing around and crush a nearby car, motorcycle, pedestrian, or vehicle.
• Pedestrian and bicycle accidents. Intersections are where walkers and bike riders normally cross streets. Most intersections have dedicated crosswalks that indicate where the walker/biker can walk and where the driver must stop. Drivers who are speeding, are distracted, or fail to yield properly can easily strike a pedestrian or bicycle rider. Since walkers and bicycle riders don’t have any protection, intersection accidents involving these non-vehicle participants can be catastrophic or deadly. Drivers should allow pedestrians and bicycle riders to cross to the other side of the intersection even if the light changes color.

Oklahoma’s intersection traffic laws

Oklahoma has several laws that regulate intersection traffic:

• 47-11-401. Vehicle approaching or entering intersection. Drivers need to yield the right of way and shouldn’t pass through an intersection until it’s safe to do so. Generally, “the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right.”
• 47-11-402. Vehicle turning left. “The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction which is so close thereto when initiating such turn as to constitute an immediate hazard.”
• 47-11-403. Vehicle entering stop or yield intersection. This law governs proceeding through intersections with stop or yield signs, where an officer is directing traffic, where pedestrians are present, and where other vehicles arrive at the intersection when the first driver arrives.

What are other causes of intersection accidents?

We’ve mentioned some of the causes of intersection accidents such as speeding, distracted driving, and the failure to obey traffic signals and traffic signs. Other contributing factors include:

• Obstructed views such as trees, bushes, tall trucks, and work crews
• Incorrectly assuming how another driver will proceed – such as whether the other driver will turn or go straight
• Being unprepared for traffic changes due to construction
• Misjudging the speed of other drivers or the distance of another driver
• Not properly studying all the lanes of traffic – not just the lane the driver is in
• Falling asleep behind the wheel
• Following too closely/tailgating
• Driving while intoxicated

All drivers should use extra caution when passing through an intersection or turning at an intersection. At Biby Law Firm, our Tulsa personal injury and wrongful death lawyers understand the unique issues in proving fault when intersection accidents occur. We hold negligent drivers, truck companies, and even governmental entities accountable when their negligence, oversight failures, or poor design cause intersection accidents. We demand compensation for all your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering and property damage. For help asserting your rights, call our Tulsa accident lawyers or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation.