Left Turn Accidents
After rear-end collisions, the most common type of car accident is the failure of a driver turning left to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic.
Often, the driver turning left is not paying attention to traffic approaching from the other direction. Others misjudge the speed of the oncoming cars and feel they have enough time to safely turn. Then they are struck mid-turn by the car whose panicked driver is unable (due to the laws of physics) to stop in time.
A driver making a left turn has the legal duty to yield to oncoming traffic, and not make the turn until it is reasonable and safe to do so.
This means that a driver turning left must be alert for oncoming vehicles and their relative rate of speed.
Determining Fault
In most left-turn cases, a police officer who responds to the accident scene will take a report and issue a traffic citation to the party turning left for failure to yield the right of way. However, in disputed left-turn accident cases, it is often necessary to employ an expert in accident reconstruction to prove who was at fault for the accident.
For instance, what if the car making the left turn was doing so safely, but the other driver ran a red light, or was speeding? These are situations and instances where having the right attorney can make all the difference.
An accident reconstruction expert will visit the scene, read the police report, measure any skid marks, assess the various damage to the vehicles, and take all facts into consideration to determine who was at fault.
Contact a Car Accident Attorney
If you have been injured in an accident involving a failure to yield on a left turn, and you believe that you are not at fault, contact TorkLaw. We will provide a free, no-obligation consultation. We want to hear your side of the story – and we’ll tell you if you have a good case or not. You may be entitled to significant compensation.
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