What to Do After an Intersection Accident
“Intersection accident” covers more than a red-light dispute. A left turn, right turn across a bicycle lane, stop sign, uncontrolled approach or blocked view can create different questions. Seek appropriate care and make an accurate incident report. Draw each road user’s approach and the control that applied to that approach before asking who had the right of way. The actual signal phase or sight line may remain unknown without an independent source.
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Raffi Naljian
Founder, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Attorney
Raffi Garabed Naljian is the founder of Naljian Law Offices and an active California attorney under State Bar #238919. A Los Angeles Times profile says he founded the firm in 2008 after beginning his legal career in 1997, and the State Bar lists personal injury, litigation, criminal law, and business law among his self-reported practice areas.
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This is a focused supporting page. Use Raffi Naljian's full sourced attorney profile as the primary identity record for biography, role, languages, office information, and public-record links. Review that profile alongside the issue-specific preparation and public sources below.
The State Bar record lists Raffi Garabed Naljian as an active California attorney, State Bar #238919. Hurt Advice is a separate referral and legal information service, not the attorney's law firm.
How to Evaluate Attorney Fit for This Issue
A good case review identifies the precise traffic-control rule, each movement and the missing record that could resolve a conflict. Ask whether the police diagram reflects a direct observation, witness account or later inference, and who might hold relevant video or signal records.
Consultation worksheet
Intersection control worksheet
Map the actual approaches and label signal colors unknown when no source saw them.
There is no submit or save action. Copy your notes before leaving this page.
Which road, approach direction, lane and movement applied to each road user?
Which signal, arrow, sign or crosswalk controlled that approach? Was any view obstructed?
Which road agency controls signal timing, and who holds any dashcam or nearby business video?
What exactly do the accounts disagree about, and which independent source could answer it?
Sources for this guide
- California DMV Driver Handbook: Laws and rules of the road
Official intersection, traffic signal, turn and yield guidance.
- California Vehicle Code section 21801
Primary left-turn and U-turn yielding provision where that movement is implicated.
- California Department of Insurance: So You Have Had an Accident
Official accident and auto-claim guidance on safety, exchanging information, documenting a collision, and contacting an insurer.
- California DMV: Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1)
Explains when the separate DMV accident report is required, what information it needs, and the applicable timing.
What to Do Next
- 1Address injuries and safety, then record the road names, direction, lane and travel movement of each vehicle, cyclist or pedestrian.
- 2Photograph signs, signals, turn arrows, stop lines, crosswalks, bike lanes and sight obstructions from safe positions.
- 3Get independent witnesses’ positions and identify cameras with a view of the approach rather than assuming every intersection camera records video.
- 4Request the investigating report and compare its diagram with the actual controls and witness accounts; check separate insurer and DMV duties.
Evidence Checklist
- Approach sketch identifying turns, lanes, control devices and impact/rest positions
- Photos of signal heads, signs, crosswalks, sight lines and any temporary change
- Witness vantage points, original dashcam and named camera or signal-record custodians
- Agency report, vehicle damage, care records and written insurer position
Keep your unanswered questions handy when comparing the attorney’s public profile with your needs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Calling every broadside impact a red-light violation
- Assuming a vehicle with a green light could ignore a person already lawfully crossing or another relevant rule
- Treating a witness’s view of one signal as proof of the other approach’s phase
- Requesting traffic-signal timing data without identifying the intersection authority and relevant time
How the Process Typically Works
Classify the control
Determine whether the crash involved lights, arrows, signs or an uncontrolled approach.
Map each movement
Document approaches, turns, crossing paths and independent observer views.
Resolve the disputed fact
Compare video, report, witness accounts and applicable rules before evaluating claims.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a green light always resolve an intersection collision?
No. Movement, turn, pedestrian and other facts still matter. California DMV describes distinct right-of-way and turning rules; the actual control and behavior must be established.
What if both drivers report a green light?
Record their approaches and seek independent witnesses, relevant camera coverage or agency signal information. Do not turn either account into a fact without support.
Is this the same as a T-bone collision?
Some intersection crashes involve side impact, but this guide starts with traffic controls and conflicting approaches. The side-impact guide focuses on a particular contact pattern and its evidence.
Use the attorney’s public background as a starting point for a direct conversation about fit.
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Important Disclosures
Attorney Advertising. Hurt Advice is a lawyer-referral and legal-information service, not a law firm. This website provides general information, not legal advice. Viewing a page or submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Independent participating attorneys decide whether to accept a matter, and representation begins only under a separate written agreement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome; results depend on the facts and circumstances of each matter.