Millions of people drive, ride, or walk through stop sign intersections daily.
However, nearly 70,000 accidents occur yearly due to people running stop signs; a third result in injuries.
There are many scenarios in which a person may find themselves in a stop sign car accident. For instance, a driver may be hit by someone running a stop sign, or the driver may hit the person running the stop sign. More than two cars may be involved in an intersection with a 3- or 4-way stop. Proving who is at fault can be challenging in stop sign violations that result in an accident. Consulting with a St. Louis car accident lawyer can help you determine liability and pursue fair compensation.
"Of all the lawyers I have met, this one is a true professional. This attorney goes against the biggest law firms and wins!"
Response from the owner:The compliment is much appreciated. Like every profession, it all starts with training our lawyers to be the best at every aspect of car accident cases. But the foundation of a great case is a great client. Thanks!
I'd say this lawyer is in the top three of the best you'll ever see. Add this attorney to the interview list if you ever get in an automobile accident. This Law Firm is on another level.
Response from the owner:Much appreciated. Techniques that an attorney or any professional uses are paramount for success. This is part of our lawyers training and preparation. It leads to success. Thank you!
People say this is the best car accident lawyer in St.Louis. Yep! Seeing this attorney in action is incredible.
Response from the owner:Great compliment. We work hard to be the best. Our lawyers also work very hard to help other lawyers in our profession. Not matter what, a cases is only as good as the client is. Thanks!
Response from the owner:Thanks! Referrals and recommendations from prior car accident clients is our #1 source of cases. People who grew to trust us send family and friends.
The Hoffman law firm is truly professional. After hiring them I was truly relieved and knew I was in good hands. Highly recommend!
Response from the owner:Being in good hands is important. Many lawyers take cases with little experience and little resources. Our firm specialized decades ago. We are focused exclusively on accident cases.
The lawyers on tv just dont compare for auto accident injury cases. Mr.Hoffmann is as good as they get.
Response from the owner:Thank you. The TV attorneys are just settlement mills. People are hiring a paralegal, not a lawyer. Our law firm is different. You are represented by an attorney and we do not have settlement quotas.
I would describe this lawyer as highly educated, sharp, and top of his game. Explains the car accident process and treatment options well. The lawyer said if they don’t pay you, we will have the jury take it from the insurance company. Great lawyer. Dynamic person.
Interviewed all the TV car accident lawyers and decided to call this law firm that had great reviews. So happy I did. What a difference!
Response from the owner:TV car accident lawyers are just mass production. This is not a good fit for litigated cases. Paralegals instead of lawyers. Monthly quotas for settlements. Car accident victims end up in a cattle call with the lawyers on TV.
Love my car accident lawyer. This law firm is a step above.
Response from the owner:Our lawyers train and track the best approaches on cases. Whether litigation in cases or the practicalities of certain treatment, the growth of our lawyers over time is paramount. Always staying ahead of and setting practice trends. Thank you.
Serious family member have a car accident injury? Look no further. This litigator is for real. Always two steps ahead of the other lawyer.
Response from the owner:This is a sad reality for car accident lawyers. The #1 passenger in an auto accident is a relative. Helping a family make it through this and putting the family back together is one of the most rewarding things I do as an automobile accident attorney.
This lawyer handles really big accident cases in St Louis. He is a lawyer, accountant and has his masters in tax so he gets the injury cases for individuals that can never go back to work or individuals own a business and cannot run it due to injury. He specializes in valuations of massive loss. Thank goodness a firm like this exists.
Response from the owner:Thank you. When accident are severe and you lose the ability to work or to continue a business, having an accounting and tax background is key. Valuing large losses are second nature for us.
Asked a trauma surgeon who operates on car accident victims who are the best injury lawyers that have taken his deposition. He said “by far” it was Mr Hoffmann. Interviewed several attorneys and this was a correct assessment. In a league of his own!
Response from the owner:Our attorney have deposed nearly all the trauma surgeons at every Level 1 Trauma Center in Saint Louis. These doctors save lives after a car accident. Whether controlling bleeding or reestablishing blood flow or bone structures, they are life savers.
Few lawyers in St. Louis can handle the biggest injury cases! This is one of them!
Response from the owner:Our law firm has made great efforts in terms of training to handle life changing injury cases. Whether in depth knowledge of the medical, loss of income and earning capacity, or lifetime medical care plans, our clients feel confident and know their case is in good hands. Thank you for the compliment.
Cannot say enough about this lawyer. Call if in an accident. This attorney handles the biggest car accidents in St Louis.
Response from the owner:Thanks Ash! Our biggest source of cases is our clients. Our second biggest referral source is defense lawyers telling their relatives to call us. Few lawyers can handle the largest cases. Our law firm welcomes and has trained for this. We don’t do mass production settlement like the lawyers on TV. Our clients can never go back to work. Their cases need massive focus and effort and often long fought litigation.
So glad I called attorney Hoffmann. This time I got it right! So glad I hired the Hoffmann Law Firm - professional, reliable and available.
Response from the owner:Thanks Taylor. Our lawyers answer the phone day, night, weekends and even during lunch. Being professional means training to beat the best defense lawyers. Client rely on us to get results and we do.
Great lawyer. Cares about his clients, knows his stuff and goes the extra mile. I recommend this lawyer for car wreck injury claim. Every other lawyer on TV would not even help with my property claim. This attorney did.
Response from the owner:Thank you for the kind words. Every case starts with a great client. You are correct the car accident lawyers on TV are mass production settlement mills. When injury clients fire them, we get their files and the cases are not worked up at all. Appreciate your confidence in us!
Major car accident injury in St Louis area for a family member. Four different lawyers we know said the same thing - call Chris Hoffmann. On another level.
Response from the owner:This is such a great compliment. Most of our cases come from prior client or lawyers that also do car accidents cases but the particular case is too large or too difficult. Being a lawyer and an accountant, we specialize in cases with total lost of income, earning capacity and/or often the inability to continue a family business. Evaluations such as these are second nature for our lawyers. Thanks.
This attorney is very smart, very experienced, returns phone calls and knows the answers when asked. One call and I knew this was a great law firm for auto accidents.
Response from the owner:Our law firm appreciates this. This is a comment we get from so many people who call…”none of the lawyers we called told me all the things that you did.” Whether we take a car accident case or not, helping people is a good thing.
5 Star Lawyer for sure! Best you will find in Saint Louis.
Response from the owner:Thanks for the 5 Star Rating. Reviews like this are great. Injury victims quickly figure out the TV advertisers are not good. We work hard at being the best we can be and it reflects in our representation of car accident victims.
Watch this lawyer in action. Was way better than all the others. Get this lawyer for an automobile accident for sure.
Response from the owner:Thanks for the recommendation. Besides doing cases, our attorneys train for this. Hard work, case knowledge and technique is key to success in car accident litigation.
Very pleased with The Hoffmann Law Firm. Lawyers are attentive, friendly and go the distance to force the settlement you want. The TV lawyers recommend low offers. This law firm gets the maximum.
Response from the owner:We get calls from car accident victims that had to fire the TV lawyers that they hired. They give the same two reasons: 1) they never spoke to a lawyer at the Big TV law firms, only a paralegal, and 2) the paralegal recommended they accept a low offer.
At our law firm, you only talk to the lawyer and if an offer is low we tell you to sue. Thanks!
Several lawyers said to call this lawyer because he is the best. You will appreciate this law firm. Helped with the injury and property claims. Attentive and knowledgeable. Great reputation in St Louis.
Response from the owner:Thanks Lexi. Our #1 source of cases is other lawyers referring us cases that are too big for them to handle.
Would use this accident law firm. Best in Saint Louis. Highly rated and it shows. After one phone call, you just know this attorney is better. 5 Stars!!
Response from the owner:Thanks for recommending our lawyers in St Louis. There is a major difference in lawyers as you well know.
Car accident lawyers on tv are not good . Get this attorney ! He is a pro !!
Response from the owner:Thanks Nathan. TV lawyers market for car accidents, use paralegals instead of lawyers and give their employees settlement quotas hence forcing cheap settlements. At our law firm, you get a lawyer who keeps pushing forward for more.
Quality lawyer. Best law firm for a car accident. Advice was way better than other lawyers I called in St. Louis. Helped with property and injury.
Response from the owner:Thanks. The TV lawyer advertisers are just car accident settlement mills. As soon as people call a real attorney, they always tell us how much better and more helpful we were. Appreciate this.
This lawyer is big time. Smooth. The other lawyers on the other side were not nearly as good as this attorney. I recommend friends in St Louis to him for accident injuries and they all say the same thing…”that lawyer is great.”
Response from the owner:Very nice of you to say. Our lawyers work hard on auto accident cases.
Family used this car accident attorney after a crash. Located in St Louis. This lawyer answers the phone and will walk you through the process. Knows his stuff!
Response from the owner:Taking calls, going over the car accident injury and property process is important. Clients that call always say we are the only lawyers that explained everything. Much appreciated.
Tried the lawyers on TV. They were not good. Hired this car accident lawyer instead because he had great reviews. The reviews are correct. This attorney is as good as they get. He does big injury cases that need to be litigated.
Response from the owner:Car accident lawyers on TV do not litigate cases. It is mass production. They have quotas. Local attorneys are best on auto accidents.
Used this attorney for an auto accident. Highly recommend this lawyer in St. Louis. Communicates well.
Response from the owner:Communicating with clients is essential. Taking the client though the car accident claims process is important otherwise major mistakes can occur. It is an effort that we make. Thanks!
Fantastic law firm, I would recommend! Received free consultation related to an auto accident when my parked car was damaged by a baseball. Very supportive advice, these guys are good!
Response from the owner:Thanks Tana. Appreciate this!
Car Accidents at Stop Sign Intersections
Stop signs are in place not only to help control the traffic at an intersection but, in some cases, to help keep the speed of moving vehicles down in areas with a high pedestrian population, such as inside a neighborhood or subdivision. Two-way and four-way stop sign intersections exist, depending on traffic flow from all directions.
Not Recognizing a 2-Way Stop Sign Intersection
Another concern is an erroneous assumption that oncoming traffic also has a stop sign at a two-way stop sign intersection.
This type of accident usually involves a driver who follows the law and comes to a complete stop. As they look both ways, they notice an oncoming car but presume that it will have to stop and continue forward right into its path. This leads to a side-impact or T-bone collision, as the oncoming vehicle crashes into yours.
T-bone accidents are often catastrophic, especially for the car that was hit. Without the engine or rear section of the vehicle to protect the driver and passengers, the impact is absorbed almost entirely by the occupants. Severe head traumas and broken spine injuries are common, as the body is jerked sideways in unnatural positions.
If you are injured in a T-bone crash, there is a high likelihood that your injuries are grave. Our St. Louis car accident lawyers could help you seek compensation for those injuries if the other driver was at fault for the stop sign intersection accident.
Failure to Yield
Another common scenario is failing-to-yield accidents, in which the first car on the scene attempts to proceed through the intersection while a subsequent car does the same.
Rear-end collisions occur with great frequency at stop signs, usually resulting in whiplash injuries for the driver who was hit from behind. This low-impact collision can cause severe soft tissue damage to the neck, requiring medical attention to help cope with the pain.
Other Causes of Stop Sign Car Accidents
Police officials try to pull as many stop sign violators as possible. However, it continues to be a problem. A person may run a stop sign for many reasons. Some of the most common causes include:
Impatience – some people tend to be in a hurry and don’t want to take the time to stop entirely or at all.
Reckless driving – some drivers go through a stop sign without realizing it.
Distracted driving – some text or talk on their cell phone while driving.
Drunk driving – when a person drinks while driving, they are generally visually impaired and often run stop signs.
Establishing Liability
According to traffic laws, stopping completely at all stop signs is compulsory. A stop sign violation in Missouri can lead to fines, revoking your license, or even jail. Drivers are responsible for complying with the laws to keep the roads safe. So, if an accident occurs because of a driver who does not stop at a stop sign, it goes without saying that he is accountable for the damages incurred.
The plaintiff has to prove that the other party failed to obey the traffic rules and thereby caused personal injury to him. To counteract this claim, the defendant may try to shield himself by saying that the stop sign was not visible as the foliage or some other signs hid it. So, the plaintiff may support his claim with documents and statements from the witnesses, which show that the stop sign was visible when the accident occurred.
Partial Responsibility For The Accident
The defendant may be able to provide evidence that the plaintiff was also responsible for the collision to some extent. Then, the plaintiff may be considered partially at fault, and the jury will decide the percentage of his responsibility. He will receive a reimbursement after deducting that percentage from the total amount to be awarded. For instance, if a bicyclist was not riding within the bike lane or a pedestrian was not walking in the crosswalk when the mishap occurred, he may be partially responsible for the accident.
Compensation for Accident Due to Stop Sign Violation
The plaintiff can ask for a certain amount of compensation. To claim reimbursement, he must provide documents showing his expenditures. He is generally entitled to compensation for his medical bills (present and future, loss of income, and other expenses resulting from the crash).
From drivers changing lanes, red-light runners, and pedestrians attempting to enter moving traffic, a lot can go wrong at an intersection. And if you’re not careful, you could find yourself in the middle of a severe accident. So, how can you stay safe when approaching, entering, and exiting an intersection? Here are six tips to help you stay safe the next time you’re approaching an intersection:
Pay Attention to Your Surroundings This may seem like common sense, but it’s essential to be aware of what’s happening around you, especially when approaching an intersection. Be on the lookout for distracted drivers, and be prepared to stop if necessary. Most importantly, quickly glance in both directions before entering an intersection to ensure no oncoming traffic.
Use Your Turn Signals Turn signals let other drivers know what you plan to do. Use them whenever you approach an intersection, even if no one else is around. However, avoid turning them on too early, as this could confuse other drivers or give them the impression that you will turn when you’re not.
Don’t Run Red Lights or Stop Signs Running a red light or stop sign is not only against the law but also incredibly dangerous. You risk hitting another car or pedestrian, and you could cause a severe accident. Why not just slow down and obey the law? It’s not worth the risk.
Don’t Assume Other Drivers Will Yield Even if you have the right of way, other drivers may not yield. Maintain a safe following distance so you have time to stop if someone does pull out in front of you.
Be Cautious of Pedestrians Pedestrians always have the right of way, so be cautious of them when approaching an intersection. Even if the light is green, ensure no pedestrians are in the crosswalk before proceeding.
Be Extra Cautious at Night It’s harder to see at night, so it’s essential to be extra cautious when approaching an intersection after dark. Slow down and look for animals and pedestrians that may not be visible. Use your headlights to help you see and be seen.
Following these tips can help you stay safe when approaching an intersection. However, it’s always important to use your best judgment and be aware of your surroundings, as accidents can happen even when cautious.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is at fault in a stop sign accident?
In most cases, the driver who ran the stop sign is at fault. However, fault can be shared if both drivers failed to obey traffic rules. A legal evaluation can help determine liability.
What happens if someone runs a stop sign and I hit them?
If another driver runs a stop sign and you hit them, they are typically at fault. However, your claim may depend on witness statements, traffic camera footage, and accident reconstruction.
Can I sue if someone hits me at a stop sign?
Yes, if another driver caused the accident by running a stop sign, you can file a claim for damages, including medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
What should I do after a stop sign accident?
After an accident, ensure safety, call 911, document the scene, exchange information, and contact a St. Louis car accident lawyer to protect your rights.
Do stop sign accidents cause serious injuries?
Yes, stop sign accidents, especially T-bone collisions, can cause severe injuries such as whiplash, head trauma, and broken bones. Seeking immediate medical attention is crucial.
Why Choose Us vs TV Lawyers?
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Free Consultation with a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer
Don’t talk to an insurance claims adjuster before speaking with The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. We can help you avoid making statements that may affect the outcome of your case. The consultation is free; you don’t pay unless we get you money!
