In most states, whenever 2 vehicles are approaching an intersection, the turning vehicle is supposed to yield to the approaching driver.
A situation where a turning vehicle would not be at-fault for a left-turning accident
That would be a situation where 2 vehicles approach an intersection from opposing directions. If the oncoming vehicle has signaled that it plans to turn, then both vehicles would have the right of way.
Typical Causes for Left-Turn Accidents
Something has distracted the driver: Today, the source of that distraction often takes the form of a handheld device, one that the driver might use to send a text message. Any drivers that might be traveling on a hilly road should not take such an action. An approaching vehicle could suddenly emerge from behind one of the road’s hilly spots.
The existence of blind spots: The driver of an automobile might be unable to see a car in an adjoining lane, before he or she has switched lanes, in order to turn left.
A driver’s poor judgment: A motorist might be unable to judge correctly the speed at which the approaching vehicle is getting closer and closer to the intersection. Alternatively, a motorist might be unable to judge correctly the distance that an approaching vehicle must travel, before reaching a given intersection.
Personal injury lawyer in Apple Valley knows that problems with judging the distance that an approaching vehicle must travel would be most apt to arise on a hilly roadway. Not every driver has amassed a good deal of experience with the task of judging distance on a hilly terrain.
At night, a failing signaling light might get identified as the cause for a collision at an intersection, especially if one of the drivers had tried to turn left. That is why police officers make a point of pulling over any automobile that has a broken signaling light.
Injuries associated with a left-turning accident
Most of those injuries resemble the sort of injury that the victim of a sideswiping incident would be expected to sustain. The body of a passenger could get tossed around.
Depending on the amount of force in the side hit, even the body of the driver might bounce upwards, causing the driver’s head to hit the underside of the car’s roof. During that same bounce, a section of the driver’s rib cage might get pressed into the steering wheel. That could cause the affected ribs to break.
Usually, a driver in an automobile with a dented side door would not be selected as the liable driver.
However, the evidence was to show that the same driver had been attempting a left-hand turn, then he or she could be named as the responsible and liable driver.