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Who Is at Fault When a Car Turns Left?

Who Is at Fault When a Car Turns Left?

Florida Left-Turn Accident Lawyer Ocala

Did you know that left-turn accidents were found to be the primary cause of almost 25% of all intersection crashes?

This study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows how vital it is to be careful, follow traffic rules, and pay close attention when turning left to avoid serious accidents while driving on Florida roadways.

Every single person who operates a motor vehicle in the state of Florida makes a left turn as a regular part of driving. As you know, making a left turn is important for getting to where you want to go, but sometimes accidents happen.

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Most Common Causes of Left-Turn Accidents in Florida

Failure to Yield

Left turn accidents commonly occur when a driver fails to yield to oncoming traffic while making a left-hand turn, like at an intersection with a traffic light or other type of signal or sign, resulting in a collision with a vehicle that is traveling straight and has the right of way.

Usually, the driver making the left turn has to wait for a gap in the oncoming traffic that is moving straight so they can then safely complete the left-hand turn. However, there are situations where the driver turning left actually has the right of way, and the driver going straight should be yielding to left-turning traffic.

A common occurrence of this situation is when the left-turning driver has a green arrow to make the turn, or when a driver going straight doesn’t stop at a four-way junction or a traffic light and enters the intersection in front of the left-turning driver.

This typically occurs when the driver going straight is not paying full attention or doesn’t know the rules about who has the right of way. Distracted driving and miscalculating the timing of the turn are two other common causes of left turn accidents.

T-Boned While Turning Left

T-bone accidents – or side impact collisions – are another common occurrence in left-turn motor vehicle accidents. These crashes are characterized by the front of one vehicle colliding with the middle of another. This happens when the driver making the left turn gets “T-boned” by the vehicle traveling straight.

Colliding With a Car That Is Trying to Pass

If a driver turning left is hit by a car attempting to pass on the left, it might not be the fault of the driver making the left-hand turn. These accidents happen when a vehicle turning crashes with a car that’s trying to pass on the left just as the turning car is about to make a turn.

If a driver uses their turn signal and slows down to turn left, it is considered careless and dangerous to try to pass them on the left side. Some might say stupid and reckless, if not against the law.

Who Is at Fault in a Left-Turn Accident in Florida?

Most often, it is the driver performing the left-hand turn that is at fault.

Determining fault in any motor vehicle accident involves an in-depth look are the circumstances surrounding the incident. Typically, in one of the more common instances, when a green light, sign, or other signal permits a left-hand turn, and the driver making the left turn fails to yield to traffic moving straight, they are considered to be at fault in the state of Florida.

For example, let’s say we have a driver who is stopped at an intersection with a green light waiting for oncoming traffic to move straight to let up so they can complete the left-hand turn. And we have another driver that is continuing straight through the intersection toward the first driver with a green light.

In this scenario, if the first driver then collides with the vehicle continuing straight through the intersection with the right of way, then the driver making the left turn is considered to be at fault.

There are also times when both drivers can be at fault, this usually occurs when there are no traffic lights and no special lanes for passing or turning, like the many rural country roads here in Florida.

In this circumstance, when a driver tries to pass another car without realizing that the car they’re passing is about to turn left, and the vehicle making a left is hit by the car trying to pass, both drivers might be considered responsible for the crash.

What Types of Injuries Are Common in Florida Left Turn Accidents?

Injuries often occur in motor vehicle accidents simply due to the physics of human beings operating heavy objects in fast motion.

In the state of Florida, accidents involving vehicles turning left can cause a myriad of different injuries from minor to fatal, but there are some that are typical to these types of crashes. The severity and type of injury depend on a few different factors, including where the person was sitting in the vehicle and if they were wearing a seatbelt.

Here are some common injuries seen in left-turn accidents:

What Types of Compensation Are Available for a Left-Turn Accident in Florida?

If you’ve been involved in an accident involving a left turn or T-Bone, you could be entitled to significant compensation depending on the specific circumstances of the accident, and the injuries you sustained as a result.

Typically in motor vehicle accident cases, compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other financial damages. How much money you get depends on things like how badly you’re hurt, how badly your car is messed up, and what your and the other driver’s insurance covers.

In some instances, the insurance company for the person who caused the crash presents a settlement offer to stop you from going to court. But, before you take that settlement money, it’s smart to talk with a lawyer who knows about left-turn accidents in Florida.

We can help make sure you get the maximum amount of money to pay for all of the short and long-term damages you’ve incurred as a result of your traffic accident.

How Does a Florida Left-Hand Turn Accident Lawyer Help Prove Liability?

At Glover Law Firm for help with your Florida case involving a left-turn accident, our skilled left-turn accident lawyers use different methods to collect proof and determine who is responsible.

Our lawyers will take the time to meet with you and carefully hear your detailed account of the accident. Your firsthand description is crucial for us to understand how the events unfolded before the crash.

We will also visit the location of the accident in person. We’ll closely examine skid marks, study traffic conditions, and gather physical evidence. This thorough investigation helps us fully grasp the situation surrounding the accident. We’ll then help identify, locate, and interview any witnesses who were present when the accident happened. By getting their statements, we can gain important insights into the actions and behavior of everyone involved.

We will then carefully assess the damage to all the vehicles that were part of the accident. This evaluation helps us understand how severe the impact was and contributes to figuring out who is responsible.

Retrieving surveillance footage whenever possible will also allow us to help prove liability. We will get hold of relevant available video footage of the accident from traffic cameras or nearby business security systems. Having visual proof like this can be really helpful in proving liability for your case.

In addition, we will obtain and analyze records from cell phones to check if the driver who made the left turn was distracted, like talking on the phone or texting, at the time of the accident.

If you’ve been hurt because of a car crash where someone turned left, reach out to the expert left-turn accident lawyers at Glover Law Firm. Our committed team of attorneys will thoroughly review your situation, work diligently to determine what caused the crash, and prove who is responsible.

No matter why the incident occurred or who is at fault, you can bet the experienced Florida car accident lawyers at Glover Law Firm will assist you in getting the highest possible compensation for your case.

Speak With a Florida Left Turn Lawyer in The Villages & Ocala, FL

With offices in both The Villages and Ocala, you can be confident that Glover Law Firm always has an accident & injury attorney nearby when you need one.

Whether you need a truck accident attorney in Ocala, or a golf cart accident lawyer in The Villages, Florida, the expert litigators at Glover Law Firm are here to fight for you.

Call us at 352-605-6127 or contact us online for a free case evaluation with our team of top-rated accident & injury lawyers.