Deadly Crash Caused After Motorcyclist Fails to Yield at Intersection in Florida

A car crash involving a car and a motorcycle in St. Petersburg, Florida, resulted in the death of a 52-year-old man. According to a Florida Highway Patrol report, the rider of the motorcycle was wearing his helmet when he crashed his 2001 Yamaha motorcycle into the side of a 2013 Ford Fusion. The Ford, driven by a 23-year-old man, was turning left through an intersection when the accident occurred. The Florida Highway Patrol said that the motorcycle failed to yield or stop at the intersection and collided with the left side of the car. The driver of the car and his passenger suffered minor injuries, and the man riding the motorcycle died at the scene.

What to Do When You Approach an Intersection with a Stop Sign

Failure to yield at an intersection is a violation of the Florida traffic code and will likely expose you to civil liability if your failure to yield causes an accident. According to the Florida traffic code, every driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection with a stop sign must stop at the clearly marked line. Even if there is no clearly marked line, the driver must stop before entering the crosswalk. The first driver who stops at the intersection is also the first driver who is allowed to proceed through the intersection. If more than one vehicle stops at the intersection at the same time, then the driver of the vehicle on the left must yield to the vehicle who is on its right.

What to Do When You Approach a Yield Sign

The Florida traffic code elaborates on what is necessary to make sure that you yield in a way that is in compliance with the law. The code states that the driver of a vehicle approaching a yield sign must slow down to a speed that is reasonable for the existing conditions, and also must stop before entering a crosswalk if it is required for safety. After the driver stops or slows, the driver must yield the right-of-way to any vehicle who is already in the intersection or to any vehicle who is approaching on another road that is close enough to constitute an immediate hazard. If you are involved in an accident with a pedestrian after driving past a yield sign without stopping, the collision is considered “prima facie” evidence of your failure to yield. That means under Florida law it will be presumed that you broke the law if you are involved in an accident with a pedestrian, and the burden will be on you to prove that you did not in fact break the law.

If you have been injured by a driver who failed to yield at an intersection or at a yield sign, the experienced West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys at Pike & Lustig, LLP can help you recover the compensation for your injuries that you are legally entitled to receive.