A traffic citation for failure to yield the right of way is usually only issued after a collision, but there are some exceptions. An unfortunate driver may have pulled onto the street in front of an unmarked police car, for instance, forcing the cop to brake suddenly. A citation in that instance is almost inevitable. No matter what the situation, the driver may want to hire a ticket lawyer in Jefferson County, MO in an effort to have the citation dismissed.
Types of Incidents
Some failure-to-yield situations are straightforward, while in others, it can be difficult to determine whether the driver who was cited was entirely at fault. Turning onto a street and not yielding to a car coming from the left or right can happen at traffic lights, stop signs, yield signs and driveways. There are three-way intersections that can be confusing to people who aren’t accustomed to this design. Roundabouts pose additional problems, especially to those unfamiliar with the traffic patterns. There can also be complex yielding situations involving highway ramps.
In some instances, the car that was turning actually had the right of way while the vehicle traveling forward was supposed to yield. Running a red light when oncoming traffic has a green arrow is an example. A ticket lawyer in Jefferson County, MO provides legal representation to drivers cited for this kind of activity.
A Serious Offense
Missouri takes the offense of failure to yield very seriously because this behavior is so dangerous. It is a very common cause of accidents that cause injuries, and may be second in frequency only to rear-end collisions at red lights.
Possible Penalties
If the accident causes injury, the court can suspend the driver’s license for 30 days. If the injury is serious, the suspension automatically lasts for 90 days. Judges can impose hefty fines too, up to $3,000 as of 2018.
An attorney with an organization such Wegmann Law Firm may be able to persuade the prosecuting attorney to change the charge to one with lesser penalties. This would be a plea bargain, just as often is negotiated in criminal cases. Like us on Facebook.
