Cleveland car accident lawyer explains how legal process works in Ohio
Many car accidents in Cleveland and throughout Ohio happen at busy intersections. And in many cases, many of these collisions occur when someone’s driving through the intersection while a traffic light is green.
But what if the other driver says the same thing? What if they claim the light was green? How do you prove you didn’t do anything and that the other driver didn’t have a green light? This might seem like a straightforward situation, but these car accident cases can be a lot more complicated than many people might suspect.
Our Cleveland car accident attorneys at Merriman Legal explain how the legal process works during these complicated legal cases and how injury victims can prove they didn’t do anything to cause their green light intersection collision.
How common are intersection accidents in Ohio?
Unfortunately, intersection accidents are extremely common. In fact, roughly one-half of all car accidents and motor vehicle accident injuries occur at intersections nationwide, according to accident data compiled by the Federal Highway Administration.
Based on such statistics, that means that roughly 131,000 car accidents and 31,700 injuries occurred last year in Ohio at intersections, according to accident data collected by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. That’s one intersection accident in Ohio every four minutes in 2025.
How do police determine who’s right about a green-light intersection accident?
When police respond to an accident, they investigate what happened. The same is true for an intersection accident in which there’s a dispute about who had a green light at the time of the collision.
In order to determine which driver had a green light, the police officer investigating your Cleveland intersection accident often relies on certain types of evidence:
- Statements from eyewitnesses – If someone saw your intersection accident, they might be able to say who had the green light at the time of the crash. This is why police routinely try to find and interview witnesses who saw the crash.
- Statements from drivers – The police officer who responds to your crash will interview you and the other driver involved in the crash. Such interviews can sometimes help clarify exactly what happened at the time of the intersection collision.
- Skidmark patterns on the road – Police often carefully examine accident skidmark patterns in the road to determine what happened, including if or where each driver attempted to stop, the angle of the vehicles and other important details.
- Camera footage of the crash – Many times, video footage of accidents exists, including security camera footage and dashcam footage. If there’s accident video footage, police often examine these videos to determine who actually caused the collision.
What other evidence can be used to determine how an intersection accident occurred?
Along with the evidence described above, there are often many other types of evidence in cases involving disputes over who had a green light at the time of the intersection accident, including:
- Accident reconstruction expert analysis of crash data can provide in-depth insights into exactly what happened.
- Doctor’s diagnosis of injuries sustained in the crash, which can indicate how the vehicles collided and who’s at fault for causing the crash.
- Accident debris, which can show how the collision occurred, which vehicle crashed into the other as well as additional important details about the crash.
Who pays for a green-light intersection accident if both parties claim the other was at fault?
First, it’s important to understand that Ohio has an at-fault (tort) car insurance system. This means the at-fault party is responsible for paying for the accident-related expenses for everyone involved in the crash.
In terms of an intersection accident where both drivers claim they each had a green light at the time of the crash, deciding who’s the at-fault party can be extremely challenging. Insurance companies for each driver often investigate what happened to determine who’s at fault – and who’s responsible for paying for the accident.
In addition, you can be part of these important discussions. And often, the best way to do so is to have an experienced Cleveland car accident lawyer representing you and dealing directly with both insurance companies. That way, you can be sure that your best interests are not overlooked.
What should I do if the at-fault driver lies about a traffic light being green?
Disputes about what happened during an intersection collision are common. So it’s not surprising when both drivers claim they had a green light at the time of the crash.
When such situations occur, it’s best for drivers to not get involved in a back-and-forth conversation about who had a green light at the time of the crash. Instead, drivers should take certain steps to protect their health and their rights, including the right to compensation:
- Call the police – It’s their job to respond to a collision and investigate the crash.
- Take pictures – If possible, before moving the vehicles, get photos of the crash site right away.
- Get medical attention – This will protect your health and create an official record of your injuries.
- Talk to witnesses – If someone saw your crash, get their full name and contact information.
- Exchange information – Get the other driver’s name, address and insurance information. Give the same information about yourself.
- Don’t discuss accident – Anything you say could be used as evidence later to deny your claim.
- Call a lawyer – The sooner you talk to an attorney, the better.
Cleveland car accident attorneys who put your interests first
Cleveland intersection accidents involving disputes over who had the green light can quickly turn into complicated legal cases. That’s why it’s critical that you have an experienced Cleveland car accident lawyer who can get right to work on your injury claim or lawsuit.
Our attorneys at Merriman Legal know exactly what to do in such situations. That’s because we have been successfully representing Cleveland car accident injury victims for years. As a result, we know what evidence to look for, what questions to ask and which legal strategies can be successful. Our case results prove this. That’s why we’re eager to meet with you.
Make our legal team your team. Contact us and schedule a free case evaluation with a Cleveland intersection accident attorney who can fight for you. We’re conveniently located on West 9th Street in Cleveland and handle car accident injury claims and lawsuits throughout Ohio.
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