Rochester, New York's Best Injury Lawyers For Car Accidents Caused By Traffic Light Defects

Founded by Recognized New York Super Lawyer Jed Dietrich, Esq., The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. is Committed to Providing Unparalleled Personal Injury Service to Anyone Injured by Reckless Motorists, Irresponsible Government Entities, or Negligent Traffic Signal Manufacturers.

Everyone who travels through Rochester’s Inner Loop at rush hour knows that waiting for traffic lights can be time-consuming. While waiting for a red light to turn green can prove to be incredibly frustrating, most of us understand that traffic control systems serve a greater purpose. If we did not have regularly maintained and well-coordinated traffic signals, commuting to work or bicycling down University Avenue would be all the more dangerous.

The Monroe County Department of Transportation is broadly tasked with maintaining and monitoring the computerized signals system that keeps Rochester moving. However, traffic lights only keep us safe if they work as intended. When safety signals malfunction, even well-prepared motorists could be propelled into an unexpected and unavoidable automobile accident. Since a burnt-out bulb or flashing signal could confuse motorists, they might proceed through intersections and crosswalks at higher-than-normal speeds. Car crashes caused by traffic light defects can result in serious and potentially life-threatening injuries. The costs of recovery could be immense. Even if you have comprehensive car insurance and private healthcare, your carrier could still ask that you pay tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket—all for an accident that you did not cause.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades striving to provide Rochester residents with unparalleled personal injury service. We understand that securing fair compensation after a car accident caused by a faulty traffic light could prove challenging, even if you have evidence to prove that somebody else should be held liable for your injuries. Since 2005, our experienced attorneys have committed to advocating the best interests of our clients, successfully recovering more than $175 million in damages from negligent municipal agencies, reckless motorists, and their insurance carriers. Please send us a message online or call us at 585-939-3939 to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

The Monroe County Department of Transportation’s Traffic Signal Maintenance & Operations Section has a big responsibility, overseeing an estimated:

1. 630 traffic signals;
2. 175 flasher devices; and
3. 120 traffic cameras.

While the county might have a multimillion-dollar budget, traffic signal faults are difficult to prevent. A traffic light could go offline or malfunction due to the following:

1. Power outages;
2. Automobile accidents that involve control boxes and electrical infrastructure;
3. Inclement weather;
4. Poor maintenance; or
5. Outdated software.

New York’s driver training programs are supposed to teach learners how to negotiate intersections with improper or defective traffic lights. However, many motorists need to be reminded of the procedures needed to stay safe when safety control signals fail. In most situations, a driver’s response should be contingent on the color of the light:

1. Flashing Yellow Signals: A flashing yellow signal indicates that motorists should proceed with caution, yielding the right-of-way to any pedestrians or cyclists in the roadway.
2. Flashing Red Signals: A flashing red signal indicates that drivers should stop and look both ways before proceeding into the intersection only after ensuring that they have the right-of-way.
3. Blackout Signals: If a traffic signal does not show a green, yellow, or red light, then motorists are expected to treat the signal as a four-way stop, yielding the right-of-way to vehicles in the order of their arrival. However, traffic signal blackouts are not always consistent, and drivers should be aware that the signal’s other faces could be operational.

Traffic signals can malfunction in other ways, too. For example, a traffic light that skips a phase by remaining red may have failed to detect that vehicles are queued on one side of the intersection. While phase-skipping signals can be extraordinarily frustrating, drivers should wait for the light to change to green before moving into the roadway.

While most motorists understand that a blacked-out traffic signal should be treated as a four-way stop, not everyone remembers—or abides by—the rules of the road. When negligent drivers speed through defective traffic lights, they endanger themselves and everyone around them. If you, or a loved one, have been injured in an automobile accident involving a faulty traffic light, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. could help you file a personal injury lawsuit against defendants such as:

1. A Negligent Motorist: A blacked-out or phase-skipping traffic light can confuse even experienced motorists. However, a defective road signal is never an excuse to abandon common sense. Whenever a driver abrogates their legal duty of care by acting unreasonably, recklessly, or negligently, they could be found liable for the costs of a resulting accident.
2. A Municipal Agency: The Monroe County Department of Transportation, the City of Rochester, and their associated contractors are responsible for maintaining Rochester’s traffic control system. While state law affords government entities increased protection from civil lawsuits, the government can still be held accountable if it receives notice of a faulty signal and fails to take appropriate action to fix it.
3. A Traffic Light Manufacturer: Since traffic control systems are a critical form of public safety infrastructure, traffic light manufacturers are held to a high standard. If a traffic light designer or manufacturer fails to test its devices properly or sells inherently defective products to cities, it could be partially or wholly liable if its systems injure motorists.

Do not lose your chance to ascertain justice. Please send the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. and its award-winning team of attorneys a message online or call us today at 585-939-3939 to discuss your options for rapid legal relief.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 585-939-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Rochester, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!