Red-Light Accidents Attorney in Charleston

Name: Red-Light Accidents
Brand: Gus Anastopoulo Law Firm
Rating: 5 (255 reviews)

Red-light accidents are among the most violent crashes on Charleston roads, often leaving victims with serious injuries and mounting medical bills. A red light wreck is almost always the result of negligence, impatience, or recklessness. Gus Anastopoulo Law Firm stays on the offense, holding careless drivers accountable and pushing relentlessly for the outcome our clients need to move forward.

Take Back What the Crash Cost You

In the U.S. today, red-light running is a persistent and deadly traffic safety issue. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1,086 people were killed in crashes involving drivers who ignored red lights in 2023, and over 135,000 were injured in those crashes nationwide.

A red-light accident occurs when a driver enters an intersection after the signal turns red and collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, or cyclist. These crashes are especially dangerous because they often involve high speeds and side-impact forces that can cause catastrophic injuries or even fatalities. If an at-fault driver fails to stop at a red light, victims often face devastating physical, emotional, and financial consequences.

Types of Red-Light Accident Injuries

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Head trauma is common in red-light crashes due to sudden side-impact forces. Even a “mild” traumatic brain injury can lead to lasting cognitive problems, memory loss, headaches, mood changes, and an inability to return to work or normal daily routines.

Spinal Cord and Back Injuries

The violent twisting motion of a T-bone collision can damage the spine. Victims may suffer herniated discs, nerve damage, or paralysis, often requiring surgery, long-term rehabilitation, and permanent lifestyle changes that affect independence and earning capacity.

Broken Bones and Orthopedic Injuries

High-speed intersection crashes frequently cause complex fractures to the arms, legs, ribs, hips, and pelvis. These injuries can require surgical repair, metal implants, and months of physical therapy, leaving victims unable to work and vulnerable to chronic pain.

Internal Organ Injuries

Blunt-force trauma can cause serious internal injuries that are not immediately visible. Damage to organs like the liver, lungs, or spleen can be life-threatening, requiring emergency surgery and extended hospitalization, with long-term health complications even after treatment.

Soft Tissue Injuries

Whiplash and deep muscle or ligament injuries are common and often underestimated. These injuries can cause persistent pain, limited mobility, and recurring flare-ups that interfere with work, sleep, and daily life long after the crash itself.

Common Reasons for Red-Light Accidents

Red-light crashes don’t happen out of nowhere. In almost every case, they are caused by a driver making a reckless or careless decision behind the wheel. The most common reasons for red-light accidents include:

Distracted driving from texting, phone use, or in-car screens
Speeding to beat a changing light
Impaired driving from alcohol or drugs
Aggressive driving at busy intersections
Fatigue that slows reaction time and judgment
Misjudging yellow lights and failing to stop safely

Why Choose Gus Anastopoulo Law Firm for Red-Light Accidents?

When a red-light crash upends your life, you need momentum. At Gus Anastopoulo Law Firm, we move immediately to secure evidence, lock down liability, and put the insurance company on notice. That means evaluating traffic-camera footage, witness statements, and crash analysis, and formulating a clear damage strategy from the start. We stay on the offense so your case never drifts or gets buried in delay tactics.

Gus Anastopoulo built this firm from nothing, grinding his way in a system that didn’t make room for outsiders. That mentality still defines how we operate. We don’t play nice with insurers who only care about their bottom line and not the impact on your life. We firmly push cases forward, expose weak defenses, and prepare every claim as if it’s going to trial. The defense knows we’re serious, and that pressure is what drives real, meaningful results.

Who Can Be Held Liable for Red-Light Accidents?

Determining liability in a red-light crash isn’t always easy. At Gus Anastopoulo Law Firm, we dig into how the collision occurred, who had the right of way, and the decisions that led up to the impact. That means analyzing traffic-camera footage, vehicle damage, police reports, witness statements, and, sometimes, signal timing data. Our goal is to identify every party whose negligence contributed to the crash and hold them fully accountable. Depending on the facts of the case, liability for a red-light accident may fall on:

The driver who ran the red light
A distracted or impaired driver who failed to obey traffic signals
A commercial driver or trucking company responsible for unsafe driving
An employer, if the at-fault driver was working at the time of the crash
A vehicle owner who negligently entrusted the car to an unsafe driver
A government entity, if defective traffic signals or poor intersection design played a role

What Are the Types of Compensation Available for Red-Light Accidents?

A red-light crash can disrupt every part of your life. Medical care, time away from work, ongoing pain, and financial stress can pile up fast, especially when the crash was caused by someone else’s reckless decision. When we pursue a claim, we look beyond the immediate bills and focus on the full impact the collision has had, and will continue to have, on your future.

Depending on the circumstances, compensation in a red-light accident claim may include:

Medical expenses, including emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, and future care
Lost wages from time missed at work during recovery
Loss of earning capacity if injuries affect your ability to work long-term
Pain and suffering related to physical pain and limitations
Emotional distress, including anxiety, trauma, and loss of enjoyment of life
Property damage to repair or replace your vehicle
Wrongful death damages, when a red-light crash results in a fatality

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Steps to Take Immediately After Red-Light Accidents

The actions you take in the moments and days after a red-light crash can directly affect your health and your legal claim. Once you are safe, the following steps help protect both:

Call 911 to report the crash and request medical assistance
Seek medical evaluation, even if injuries are not immediately obvious
Document the scene with photos and videos, if possible
Identify witnesses and collect their contact information
Obtain a copy of the police report
Avoid discussing fault with the other driver or insurers
Preserve medical records, bills, and repair estimates
Contact an experienced red light accident attorney in Charleston as soon as possible

Why Hire a Red-Light Accident Lawyer in Charleston

After a red light wreck, insurance companies move fast to protect themselves, not you. A red light accident attorney in Charleston knows how to secure intersection footage, prove right of way, and shut down blame-shifting tactics before they take hold. These crashes often involve severe injuries and high-dollar claims, which means aggressive pushback from the defense. Hiring the right lawyer levels the field, preserves critical evidence, and puts pressure where it belongs: on the at-fault driver and their insurer.

Red-Light Accidents Frequently Asked Questions

What if the other driver claims the light was yellow?

This is one of the most common defenses in red-light accident cases. In South Carolina, the key issue is whether the driver entered the intersection after the light turned red. We rely on traffic-camera footage, vehicle damage patterns, witness testimony, and signal timing data to establish what actually happened and counter the insurance company’s version of events.

Can I still recover compensation if I was partially at fault?

Yes, depending on the facts. South Carolina follows a modified comparative negligence rule. As long as you are 50% or less at fault, you can still recover compensation, though your recovery may be reduced by your percentage of fault. That’s why insurance companies aggressively try to push blame to you: our job is to push back hard against blame-shifting by insurers.

What evidence is most important in a red-light accident claim?

Strong red-light accident claims are built on proof. This can include traffic-camera or dashcam footage, police reports, witness statements, vehicle black-box data, and accident reconstruction analysis. We move quickly to preserve this evidence before it disappears or gets overwritten.

How long do I have to file a red-light accident lawsuit in South Carolina?

In most cases, South Carolina law gives you three years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, shorter deadlines may apply if a government entity is involved, such as in cases of faulty traffic signals. Waiting too long can permanently bar your claim.

Red-Light Accidents Attorney in Charleston

Take Back What the Crash Cost You