A car accident in Virginia Beach Saturday evening killed one woman and left a teen with serious personal injuries. The failure to yield crash occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of Lynnhaven Parkway.
According to details released by police, a Honda Civic attempted to make a left turn onto Lynnhaven Parkway when it struck the front driver’s side of a Chevrolet, causing the Chevrolet to head into the median and slam into a tree head-on. A third car was struck by debris from the accident.
The woman, 65-year-old Mary Foley, was pronounced dead at the scene. The teen, who was a passenger in the Chevrolet, was seriously injured and transported to Virginia Beach General Hospital. Police say the drivers in the other two vehicles did not report injuries.
Police cited the driver of the Honda for failure to yield the right of way when making a left turn, however, the crash is still under investigation.
Failure to Yield and Left-Hand Turn Accidents
Failure to lead accidents occur when a driver fails to yield the road appropriately. This can happen when a driver is merging onto highway traffic, entering a street from a driveway or parking lot, or approaching a flashing yellow light or a red light.
One of the most common causes of failure to yield car accidents is when a driver fails to yield the right of way when making a left-hand turn. Last year alone, there were more than 16,500 car accidents in Virginia that resulted from a driver failing to yield.
According to data collected from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), left-hand turns are a factor in more than 22 percent of car accidents, while turning right is a factor in only 1.2 percent of accidents.
And it is not just occupants in other vehicles that are at significant risk of being injured or killed in a crash caused by a driver failing to yield while turning left. More than 35 percent of all fatal motorcycle crashes are caused by drivers making left-hand turns and driving into the motorcycle. Pedestrians and bicyclists are three times more likely to be killed by a driver taking a left turn than they are by drivers turning right.
Car Accident Liability
Under Virginia law, a vehicle driver who is turning left in an intersection or into an alley, driveway, or private road is required to yield the right of way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction if that vehicle is in near proximity to constitute a hazard.
When that failure to yield causes a crash that results in an individual suffering personal injuries, that person can sue the at-fault driver for damages to cover the losses the injuries have caused. This includes medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, scarring, and permanent disabilities.
If a person dies from their injuries, a Virginia personal injury attorney can help the victim’s family file a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault driver for financial and emotional losses the death has caused them.
Contact a Virginia Personal Injury Law Firm for Help
If you have been injured in an accident caused by a driver’s failure to yield while turning, the legal team at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp will evaluate your case to determine what type of financial compensation you may be entitled to.
Our firm has been successfully representing injured clients for more than three decades, including a $1 million settlement for one client who suffered massive injuries to his feet, ankles, and legs when a turning driver failed to yield and crashed into our client’s vehicle. The accident left our client disabled, with painful and debilitating post-traumatic arthritis in his damaged joints and needing a wheelchair to travel any distance.
Call our office today to schedule a free and confidential consultation with one of our dedicated Virginia car accident attorneys and find out how we can help.
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