Running Red Lights Leads to Injuries

Running red lights causes many fatal and injurious accidents across America. It is important to examine these injuries and how red-light cameras might help injured victims. Learn how a Las Vegas car accident lawyer could assist you.

Did you know that red-light runners kill and injure thousands of Americans annually? For example, this reckless behavior killed 846 people in accidents in 2019 alone and injured 143,000 more. Survivors of these avoidable accidents can enlist a Las Vegas car accident lawyer to boost their chances of winning reasonable compensation from the negligent driver.

This post discusses red-light crashes and, further, how red-light cameras can help to protect the rights of injured crash victims.

Reasons and Penalties for Running Red Lights

Drivers can disobey a traffic signal for many different reasons – both intentionally or not. Most drivers run red lights due to the following reasons:

• Distracted driving
• Driving under alcohol or drug influence (DUI)
• Drowsy driving
• Aggressive driving
• A deliberate disregard for traffic laws
• Trying to speed through yellow lights
• Adverse weather conditions, such as slick roads
• They are hurried and don’t want to “lose” more time
• Speeding that makes it too late to detect the red light and stop

Even if a driver “accidentally” ran a red light, it likely happened because they were engaging in another form of negligent driving, such as texting and driving. No matter what the reason might be, running red lights puts everyone in the intersection in danger and can have a variety of serious penalties.

First, the driver can face a citation from law enforcement for violating the law. Then, if the driver caused a collision and injuries to others, they can face civil liability for the harm and losses that resulted. This could happen through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit, and injured victims must take swift action.

Red Light Cameras Can Help Personal Injury Claims

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that red light cameras work to reduce red-light running by about 40%. They also found that red-light cameras reduced fatal red-light accidents by 21% and injuries by 29%. Despite these hopeful numbers, red-light running and collisions continue to occur.

If you are injured at an intersection that has a red light camera, it could potentially help your injury claim. When you file a claim against the liable driver’s insurance, you must provide evidence of liability. If the driver was not issued a red-light citation, your attorney will need to look for other evidence, which can include witness testimony and the footage from the red light camera. Often, video footage can be the most persuasive type of evidence, as insurance adjusters or juries cannot deny what they see with their own eyes. This footage can be important to prove your claim if the driver was not ticketed.

Contact a Las Vegas Car Accident Lawyer Today

Running red lights causes many avoidable injuries and deaths in Las Vegas and throughout the U.S. If you are facing losses following a car crash and injuries, don’t fight alone when a Las Vegas car accident lawyer from Breeden Malpractice & Injury Law can help you. Don’t hesitate to call us or contact us online for a free consultation and your case evaluation today.