Before the invention of traffic safety lights, intersection accidents were much more common than they are today. And even though this safety precaution has prevented much of the accidents that take place when roads cross, accidents do still happen.

Some of the most common reasons that these types of accident occur today is because of human error. Here are a few examples below.

Driver speeds through a red light and hits a crossing vehicle. This is one of the largest causes of serious and fatal accidents that take place at intersections. Some drivers choose to speed up when they see the lights turn yellow thinking that they can make it through the intersection before it turns red. This is always a dangerous way to operate a vehicle, you should be prepared to slow down when a traffic light has turned yellow.

Driver thinks that their light has turned green when in fact it has not. Though this may sound silly, it does cause accidents. On multi-lane roads, drivers that are in a turning lane are susceptible to this type of behavior, especially if they are not paying close attention, because of the natural instincts to move forward when you see others beside you moving forward. But lights for turning lanes and crossing lanes do not always coincide.

A malfunctioning vehicle is another cause of accidents at intersections. Things like defective brakes, a sputtering engine, and even a tire blow out can all lead to an accident. In cases like this, it is usually the vehicle that has malfunctioned which is hit. In this case many judges and juries will take the side of the driver whose vehicle malfunctioned since many times this is not something the driver has no control over. Having said that, if someone is driving a vehicle that has failed to pass safety inspections they may be held liable for the accident as their vehicle was not fit to be on the road in the first place.

If you've been involved in an intersection accident, regardless of the circumstances, you need to contact an accident lawyer to find out whether or not you are owed compensation for your damages. Even in cases where the accident appears to be your fault, an experienced legal professional may find that there were other contributing factors, outside of your control, that clearly put the blame on other parties. This type of representation can be priceless for those who have suffered serious injuries and were unjustly accused of being the cause of the accident.