In most cases, the person making a left turn will be considered at fault for accidents.
The rules of driving vary by state, but some common-sense rules apply almost everywhere — like the fact that unless you have the right of way, you must yield when making a turn. That is why a car making a left-hand turn across traffic will typically be at fault for any accident that occurs.
In most situations, the cars traveling straight in the opposite direction will have right of way when going through an intersection or driving down the road. The driver making the left turn is required to wait until it is safe to make a turn across traffic. So if a left-hand turn results in an accident, chances are good that the driver making the turn will be deemed at fault.
But there are cases where the person making the left turn is not actually at fault for an accident. For example, if the driver had a left turn arrow and the other vehicle went through a red light, then that would be the fault of the other driver — not the turning driver. If the other driver does something negligent, such as going through a stop sign, that could also lead to a determination that the driver making the left-hand turn was not responsible for an accident.
After an accident involving a left-hand turn, the damage on the vehicles involved can sometimes give an idea of who was at fault for the accident. Expert witnesses can often provide a report or testify as to how the collision may have happened, and who was at fault as a result.
Crashes involving left-hand turns highlight the importance of having a highly experienced car accident attorney review your case. A knowledgeable car accident attorney will be able to fully evaluate the facts of the case to determine if the collision was the fault of the other driver — potentially allowing you to file a claim and recover money for your injuries.
At the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker, we have nearly forty years of experience representing clients in all types of accident cases, including those involving left-hand turns. We have recovered more than $2 billion dollars for over 100,000 clients, and a 95% success rate. Contact our office today at 800-333-0000 or info@larryhparker.com to schedule a free initial consultation about your car accident or any other type of personal injury case. We never charge a fee unless we recover money for you!
