Finding the Truth Through Evidence
Traffic light intersections are critical control points in our road networks, designed to manage traffic flow and ensure safety.
Despite these controls, accidents at these intersections remain disturbingly common, often resulting in serious injuries, substantial property damage, and sometimes fatalities. What makes these cases particularly challenging is determining exactly what happened and who was at fault.
When a crash occurs at an intersection, a thorough investigation is crucial to establish facts and determine liability.
Common Causes of Traffic Light Accidents
Understanding typical causes helps investigators know what to look for.
Running red lights or attempting to “beat” yellow lights
Distraction from cellphones or other devices
Poor visibility due to weather or obstructions
Following large vehicles that block signal visibility
Inability to stop due to speed or maintenance issues
Failure to yield to emergency vehicles
Speeding through intersections
Tailgating leading to chain-reaction collisions
Pedestrian errors in crossing
Traffic signal malfunctions
Why Hire A Lawyer?
The complexity of traffic light accident investigations often requires professional expertise.
A qualified attorney can engage appropriate experts before evidence disappears, ensure preservation of critical evidence, coordinate with law enforcement, interpret technical findings, and present evidence clearly in negotiations or court proceedings.
Their experience guides the investigation toward the most relevant evidence for establishing liability.
Investigation Process
Several key types of evidence can reveal what truly caused the accident.
A thorough investigation typically progresses through several stages.
Immediate scene documentation captures photographs, measurements, and preservation of perishable evidence.
Vehicle examination provides detailed inspection of all vehicles involved.
Witness interviews gather thorough accounts from all observers.
Technology review analyzes available camera footage, EDR data, and signal timing.
Expert analysis involves professional assessment by trained reconstructionists. Finally, report compilation creates comprehensive documentation of findings and conclusions.
Each stage builds upon previous discoveries to create a complete picture of the accident.
Black Box Data and Vehicle Information
Modern vehicles are equipped with Event Data Recorders (EDRs), commonly known as “black boxes,” which capture critical information about a vehicle’s operation seconds before a collision.
This data includes speed, brake application, throttle position, and seatbelt usage. A qualified accident reconstructionist can download and analyze this data to provide objective evidence of driver actions immediately before impact.
This technological evidence often contradicts or confirms witness statements, making it invaluable for determining what happened in the moments before the collision.
Roadway Evidence
Skid marks, yaw marks, pavement gouges, and debris patterns tell a compelling story about the accident dynamics.
Investigators measure and document these markings to determine vehicle speeds before braking, braking efficiency and reaction times, direction of travel and impact angles, and vehicle position at key moments.
These physical traces are perishable evidence that must be documented quickly before weather or subsequent traffic erases them from the scene.
Vehicle Damage Profile
The location and extent of damage to involved vehicles provide crucial information about the direction and angle of impact, the relative speeds of vehicles, the collision sequence in multi-vehicle incidents, and consistency with driver statements.
A qualified reconstructionist can examine crush damage to calculate impact forces and speeds, helping to verify or contradict witness accounts.
The pattern of vehicle damage often reveals which driver’s version of events is accurate when conflicting statements exist.
Traffic Signal Timing and Sequencing
Traffic lights operate on programmed sequences that can be retrieved and analyzed.
Investigations may include obtaining signal timing logs from traffic management authorities, analyzing the appropriateness of the yellow light duration for the intersection, checking for malfunctions in the signal system, and verifying proper synchronization between multiple signals.
This technical evidence can establish whether a light was truly red or green when a driver entered the intersection, which is often the central question in these cases.
Surveillance and Camera Footage
Video evidence has become increasingly valuable in accident investigations.
Traffic cameras at intersections, business security cameras with roadway views, dashcam footage from involved or nearby vehicles, and cellphone videos from witnesses can all provide crucial visual documentation.
This visual evidence can show which vehicle had the right of way and the precise movements of all cars before the collision. An experienced investigator knows how to canvass the area for all possible camera angles that might have captured the incident.
Witness Statements
Accounts from people who observed the accident provide important context.
Pedestrians at crosswalks or nearby sidewalks, drivers in other vehicles not involved in the collision, passengers in involved vehicles, and people in nearby buildings or businesses may all have valuable perspectives.
Investigators should collect these statements as soon as possible while memories are fresh.
Witness credibility assessment is a critical skill for investigators handling conflicting accounts.
Weather and Environmental Conditions
Environmental factors that may have contributed include precipitation, sun position causing glare on signals or windshields, construction zones altering normal traffic patterns, and foliage or structures blocking the view of signals or oncoming traffic.
A thorough investigator will document these conditions and may even return to the scene at the same time of day to experience identical lighting conditions.
Cell Phone Records
In cases where distraction is suspected, call and text logs can be subpoenaed, app usage data may show activity during the collision, and location services can confirm vehicle position and movement.
These digital breadcrumbs often reveal whether a driver was engaged with their phone at the critical moment when they should have been responding to traffic signals.
3D Accident Reconstruction
Using specialized software, reconstructionists can create detailed computer models that:
Simulate the accident based on physical evidence
Test different scenarios against known facts
Create visualizations that demonstrate the sequence of events
Calculate speeds, forces, and timing
These sophisticated reconstructions can be robust evidence when explaining complex accident dynamics in negotiations or court proceedings.
Contact Sam Aguiar Injury Lawyers For Help Today
Dealing with the aftermath of an accident is undeniably challenging, both emotionally and physically.
Our team understands your hardships during this difficult time and is here to handle everything while you focus on healing.
We are committed to aggressively fighting for every dollar you are owed.
Call 502-888-8888 or 859-888-8000 for your free consultation, our Bigger Share Guarantee, and no-win, no-fee representation.
