Were you injured in a failure to yield accident in Raleigh?
At Burton Law Firm, we represent injured clients across Raleigh, NC and pursue full recovery after a driver’s failure to yield.
If another driver failed to yield and struck you, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Our Raleigh, NC failure to yield lawyer represents people hurt at intersections, turns, and merges throughout Wake County. Our firm is dedicated exclusively to representing injured plaintiffs. We take these cases on a contingency basis, so there is no attorney fee unless we recover for you. Reach out to Burton Law Firm to discuss your case.
Failure to Yield Lawyer Raleigh, NC
About half of all traffic injuries and roughly a quarter of traffic deaths in the country happen at intersections, according to FHWA intersection safety data. Raleigh’s growth has packed more turning and crossing traffic onto corridors like Capital Boulevard and New Bern Avenue, where a single missed right of way can end in a serious crash. A single misjudged gap or ignored sign is enough to seriously injure the person who had the right of way.
A failure to yield crash is a specific kind of car accident, one where a driver ignored who had the right of way. It happens when a motorist turns across traffic, rolls through a stop sign, or pulls out without looking. Because the injured party typically had the right of way, these cases depend on proving that the other driver violated it. The value of a claim depends on the severity of your injuries, the coverage available, and how clearly fault can be shown.
Types of Failure to Yield Cases We Handle in Raleigh
Failure to yield happens wherever paths cross and a driver moves when it is not their turn. We represent people hurt across the range of right-of-way crashes on Raleigh roads. Although the setting shifts from one case to the next, the question of who was required to yield remains the same. Most of these crashes result from a driver who proceeded without the right of way.
- Left-turn collisions. A driver turning left across oncoming traffic misjudges the gap or never looks. The turning driver almost always owed the duty to yield.
- Intersection right-of-way crashes. Drivers who run a stop sign or a red light strike vehicles that have the right to proceed. The angle of these crashes often causes severe injuries.
- Merging and lane-entry crashes. A driver entering a highway or changing lanes cuts off traffic already in the lane. We use the vehicles’ positions to show who failed to yield.
- Driveway and parking lot pull-outs. A driver pulls into the roadway from a lot or driveway without waiting for a clear gap. Sightline problems make these crashes common.
- Pedestrian accidents. Drivers who fail to yield at crosswalks and turns strike people on foot. A pedestrian with the walk signal has the right of way.
- Bicycle accidents. A driver who does not yield to a cyclist at an intersection or while turning causes serious harm. Riders have the same right to the road that drivers do.
- Motorcycle accidents. Drivers frequently turn or pull out in front of a motorcycle they claim not to have seen. Failure to yield is a leading cause of rider injuries.
- Emergency vehicle crashes. Drivers who fail to yield to an ambulance or fire truck cause avoidable collisions. These cases carry their own duties of care.
Why Choose Burton Law Firm as my Failure to Yield Lawyer in Raleigh, NC?
Establishing Who Had the Right of Way
Every failure to yield case ultimately depends on a single issue: which driver was required to yield. We establish the answer through the physical evidence, the road markings, and each driver’s path through the intersection, which prevents the other driver’s insurer from misrepresenting how the crash occurred. Our investigation begins at the scene itself, before the evidence can change or disappear.
Jason M. Burton is a fifth-generation trial lawyer licensed in North Carolina and Virginia, with more than 13 years representing injured plaintiffs across Wake County. He holds a 10.0 Avvo rating and life membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a group fewer than one percent of attorneys qualify to join. A right-of-way crash demands the reconstruction skill of an experienced personal injury lawyer in Raleigh, NC.
Results in Right-of-Way Cases
We have recovered millions of dollars for people hurt by careless drivers. Representative motor vehicle results include:
- A $725,000 recovery in a crash caused by an impaired driver
- A $250,000 personal injury recovery
Other settlements and verdicts have followed for injured clients. Each case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Understanding Failure to Yield Cases
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Failure to Yield Cases
North Carolina lets an injured driver, passenger, or rider recover the full range of losses a crash causes.
- Medical expenses. Emergency care, surgery, and future treatment.
- Lost income. Wages missed during recovery and reduced earning capacity.
- Pain and suffering. The physical and emotional toll of a serious injury.
- Property damage. Repair or replacement of your vehicle.
- Wrongful death. Compensation for a family when a failure to yield crash is fatal, including funeral costs and lost financial support.
When a driver’s conduct is especially reckless, such as driving while impaired, punitive damages may also be available. Recovering damages requires proving the other driver was negligent, and a driver who fails to yield breaks a basic rule of the road, which is strong evidence of fault. Establishing negligence and liability is central to these claims.
North Carolina follows pure contributory negligence, so carrying even a small share of the fault can bar recovery entirely, and the other driver’s insurer will look for any reason to say you could have avoided the crash. Overcoming that argument often determines the settlement value. The more serious the injury, the more aggressively an insurer contests the claim, making early evidence preservation even more important.
What Are Important Aspects of a Failure to Yield Case?
A right-of-way claim depends on the quality of its evidence, which is best preserved in the days immediately after the crash. The items below establish that the other driver, not you, caused the crash. Because the insurer begins constructing its own account within days, prompt action protects your claim.
- The crash report. The responding officer’s account and any citation for failure to yield.
- Scene evidence. Skid marks, debris fields, and the resting positions of the vehicles.
- Signal and sign data. Traffic signal timing and the controls at the intersection.
- Witnesses. Independent accounts of which driver moved first.
- Video. Traffic and business cameras, which often capture the right evidence before it is gone.
What Is The Failure to Yield Case Timeline?
Every crash claim proceeds on its own timeline, though the general path is familiar.
- Investigation and evidence preservation.
- Medical treatment until your condition stabilizes.
- A demand to the at-fault driver’s insurer.
- Negotiation toward a settlement.
- Suit and trial if the offer stays too low.
North Carolina sets a three-year limit to file most injury lawsuits, and it applies even while settlement discussions continue. A case that does not settle is filed in the Wake County court, which handles these civil claims.
What Should You Bring to Your Failure to Yield Consultation?
A few documents let us assess your claim at the first meeting.
- The police crash report.
- Photographs of the vehicles, the intersection, and your injuries.
- Medical records and bills.
- Insurance information for every driver involved.
- Names and contact details for witnesses.
We review these materials, explain how contributory negligence may affect your case, and outline the next steps. By the end of the meeting, you will understand where your claim stands.
Most Dangerous Locations for Failure to Yield Crashes in Raleigh, NC
Failure to yield crashes concentrate at Raleigh’s many high-volume intersections. Several corridors carry heavy turning and crossing traffic, which increases the likelihood of a right-of-way error. Statewide, state crash data attributes a large share of serious crashes to intersections and driver error. Identifying the corridors with the heaviest turning and crossing traffic helps drivers remain cautious and helps us reconstruct how a crash occurred.
- Capital Boulevard. One of Raleigh’s busiest corridors, with heavy through-traffic and frequent turning movements at its cross streets.
- New Bern Avenue. A commercial artery east of downtown with closely spaced intersections.
- Glenwood Avenue. A high-volume route where turning traffic meets steady through-traffic.
- Six Forks Road. A north Raleigh corridor with commuter congestion at its crossings.
- Western Boulevard. A route near the university and shopping centers with constant merging and turning.
- Falls of Neuse Road. A suburban corridor with turning conflicts at its major intersections.
Federal researchers track how age and road design affect these crashes through the national crash data that guides safety programs.
Reach Out to Burton Law Firm to Schedule a Consultation
If a driver failed to yield and caused your crash, we can review what happened and explain your options. Our firm handles these cases on a contingency basis, so there is no attorney fee unless we recover for you. We respond quickly and keep you informed at each stage. Contact us to speak with a failure to yield attorney serving Raleigh and Wake County.