If a traffic signal malfunctions on a Texas road, it can improperly direct vehicle traffic – potentially resulting in serious accidents. Determining who is liable, or legally responsible, for an accident involving a faulty traffic signal in Texas takes examining the circumstances surrounding the crash. Make sure to speak to an experienced car accident lawyer in San Antonio for legal guidance.
Why Might Traffic Signals Stop Working in Texas?
If a traffic light malfunctions at an inopportune moment, it can give the incorrect signal to one or more lanes of traffic and cause a serious intersection accident, including a T-bone or head-on collision. Pedestrians may also be at risk of entering a road or crosswalk at the wrong time due to a broken pedestrian crossing signal.
A traffic signal could fail to work for many reasons, including:
- Inadequate traffic device maintenance by the city government
- Faulty signal installation or calibration
- Bad wiring or electrical problems
- A power surge or outage
- A car crashing into the device
- Bad weather, such as lightning or hail
- Fallen tree limbs breaking the device
Identifying why the traffic signal stopped working is a key step in filing an injury claim for a related car, bicycle or pedestrian accident. Since Texas is a fault state, the person or party at fault for the collision must be identified. This will allow an injured victim to file a claim with this party’s insurance provider.
Driver Liability for Broken Traffic Signal Accidents
Car accident cases involving a broken traffic signal often name more than one defendant: the entity responsible for the broken device and one or more drivers who failed to react appropriately to the malfunction. Drivers are often found responsible for these collisions for failing to follow the rules that apply to these unique situations.
While it is not always possible to prevent car accidents when faced with a malfunctioning traffic signal, drivers should know how to handle an intersection when a light is not working. In Texas, these locations should be treated like four-way traffic stops. All drivers should come to complete stops before entering the intersection. The driver who approached first will have the right-of-way to proceed cautiously into the intersection.
Mistakes and acts of negligence such as speeding, distracted driving, failing to stop and failing to yield the right-of-way can all result in intersection accidents. In these situations, even if the signal was not working properly, the driver(s) can be held primarily liable for the wreck.
Other Liable Parties
You can likely hold a driver liable when a crash occurs at an intersection where a signal was not working properly in Texas. However, you may have additional liability options based on the party responsible for the proper operation of the signal.
The local city or municipal government is in charge of ensuring that all traffic lights and signals within its jurisdiction are in proper working order. If a signal breaks or malfunctions, it is the government’s duty to react properly and without delay to remedy the situation. This may include repairing the signal and/or posting warning signs for drivers.
If the governing agency knew of the problem but did not remedy it soon enough, it could be held liable for a subsequent accident. Product manufacturers, contractors, maintenance crews and utility companies could also face liability for a light failure accident, depending on the cause of the issue.
Contact an Attorney for Legal Assistance
If you get hurt in a car accident involving a broken traffic signal, a San Antonio personal injury attorney can examine the evidence and investigate your crash to name all of the liable parties. Finding more than one party liable could maximize your financial outcome by providing multiple insurance policies for coverage.