Page 11 | Crash! Boom! Bang! - Car accident, who's at fault?

NothingOnButTheRadio · 2020-10-26T16:36:57+00:00

Had a car accident earlier. Wondering what your thoughts are. Car A had slowed down to turn into the first road on the right and was indicating. Car B was turning left . Not unusual to have a steady stream of traffic (lights further up the road. Car A began turning. Car B ploughed into the side of Car A. Both drivers accusing the other. Both vehicles I'd think are write-offs. Obligatory drawing - yes, I'm shit at drawing! Car A

Councilworker · 26/10/2020 22:26

A low speed collision into the (passenger) side of the car broke your leg and several bones on your dominant hand, gosh no wonder both vehicles were a right off. Was it a while ago and insurance are still arguing it out? You're typing and drawing pretty well if it was in the last few days.

I was hit as a pedestrian crossing the road by the front of a Mini that was turning and didn't break anything more than a couple of toes. To break multiple leg bones (tib and fib?) and hand must have been quite some crash if the airbags didn't cushion you a bit.

TheNestedIf · 26/10/2020 22:28

Turning left to join a road you look right,

I cannot agree with this. You look right and left if you're a careful driver. Something could be happening on your left to which you need to pay attention. Gormless pedestrian, emergency vehicle on the wrong side of the road, roadworks, etc. In this case, OP making a turn.

For those who think 3 meters couldn't cause that sort of damage, my partner occasionally drives a transit and when he does it's laden with tools and a lot heavier than you might imagine. He does tend to strongly accelerate out of side roads otherwise he would never be able to merge into gaps in the traffic because of the inertia. I imagine the weight and the acceleration could do a lot of damage if he hit someone.

For what it's worth, now you've clarified the roads are 3 meters apart and that you were already moving, I think B was at fault.

ExclamationPerfume · 26/10/2020 22:34

You should come to a standstill when turning not keep trickling forward whatever that means. You are at fault. If it's only 3 metres from the junction then the transit wouldn't have had time to speed up.

yellowcatss · 26/10/2020 22:37

@MadeForThis

That's a high impact collision. B must have been going fast by the time he hit you.

he was probably accelerating to the speed limit as he is meant to he had already safely completed his left turn only to be hit by a car unable to safely do their right turn

yellowcatss · 26/10/2020 22:41

@ExclamationPerfume

You should come to a standstill when turning not keep trickling forward whatever that means. You are at fault. If it's only 3 metres from the junction then the transit wouldn't have had time to speed up.

im not sure what she meant either if your turning right clearly you slow down if clear you go if not stop and wait till a gap not trickle forward into the oncoming lane

Bringmewineandcake · 26/10/2020 23:41

The OP isn't coming back.

ConquestEmpireHungerPlague · 26/10/2020 23:48

In fairness, the OP has probably had some heavy duty pain relief and turned in for the night.

ClarenceBoddicker · 27/10/2020 00:41

I thought I knew the rules but think it was poorly explained. Don’t know which car is A or B but in the latest diagram the car pulling out from the side street is the innocent one as joining a main road with traffic to their right means they only have to give way to them rather than be a mind reader of someone ahead trying to do a sneaky right turn from the main road to another side street. One car is on the main road and the other is trying to cross it. Unbiased opinion without knowing which letter is which

ClarenceBoddicker · 27/10/2020 00:45

I’m not an expert for think those are the rules. I see too many people defending themselves and understand it to a certain degree. If someone inexplicably brake tests you you are deemed to be at fault despite considering it an injustice. That’s what the crash for cash scams are about

ClarenceBoddicker · 27/10/2020 00:47

Car turning from the main road into the side street bar fault though if that’s A or B. Didn’t understand any if it until I saw the diagram again as description was vague

ClarenceBoddicker · 27/10/2020 00:50

One car is crossing a lane of traffic and the other isn’t

EL8888 · 27/10/2020 01:00

Car b is in the wrong as car a gas priority. No way would l accept 50/50 as car a

wombat1a · 27/10/2020 01:13

I would have gone with A being at fault as B would already be established on the road before A turned across them.

However if A started to turn before B was established on the road then B's fault.

BessieSurtees · 27/10/2020 05:48

Clearly it’s the diagrams fault because it’s crap and misleading.

Dhalia443 · 27/10/2020 06:12

I really can’t understand how that much injury was caused. It’s not possible surely.

To the person saying you only look right.... NO! There could be pedestrians crossing, standing traffic, a dog etc.

GammyLeg · 27/10/2020 06:45

@Dhalia443 "I really can’t understand how that much injury was caused. It’s not possible surely."

Of course it's possible. He was in a van, and he would have been accelerating. You can sustain injuries from much "slower" situations than this!

I am sorry that happened to you, OP. I hope the bloke is dealt with appropriately.

SoloMummy · 27/10/2020 07:04

So car A was turning into first road on the right and car B was coming from second road on the right?
In that scenario, car B was in the right to turn as his or her path entering the "main road" was clear. Car A shouldn't have turned. Car A's turn would always be the most risky as having to go midflow crossing the road.

SoloMummy · 27/10/2020 07:09

With the updates it was obvious that you crossed his path.
You're at fault.
You obviously could see him given its a transit. Whether he was indicating or not is irrelevant in that you shouldn't have started your manoeuvre without checking.
Given its a side impact, its not his liability per se and Id expect his insurers to not accept anywhere close to 50 50 liability, expecting you to take majority, more like 80 or 90 in his favour.

JacobReesMogadishu · 27/10/2020 07:20

I agree that from the updates it sounds more like A was at fault. You should have stopped before turning rather than trickle forward regardless of wanting to save fuel costs. Doing so would have given you more time to look for potential hazards inc someone turning out of a side road onto the main road. Once they’re on the main road they have right of way and they must have been on the main road before you turned if their side road was a few meters before yours because they had to travel from that side road to the second one even if that was only a split second before.

FourDecades · 27/10/2020 07:30

If B was already on the road and went in the side of A..... that means A cut across B.

So I'd say A was at fault.

76ocean · 27/10/2020 10:15

I think A at fault as B was already on the main road and A turning across it. That said I'm always on high alert at junctions like these as it's clear to see how things can go wrong.

SoupDragon · 27/10/2020 10:22

I can't understand how a van could get enough speed up to smash into the passenger side of a car and injure the driver that badly.

OP I hope you have swift recovery

KarmaStar · 27/10/2020 11:21

Car B.car A was on the main to A and turning.

cologne4711 · 27/10/2020 11:28

I cannot agree with this. You look right and left if you're a careful driver. Something could be happening on your left to which you need to pay attention. Gormless pedestrian, emergency vehicle on the wrong side of the road, roadworks, etc. In this case, OP making a turn

I don't disagree (eg there's a crossing to the left of the road I live in, so
I have to look left to check there is no red light) but I think if you are on the wrong side of the road/crossing the opposite carriageway you are to blame for any accident.

Anyway it doesn't really matter whose fault it is. That's why we have insurance.

cologne4711 · 27/10/2020 11:28

I cannot agree with this. You look right and left if you're a careful driver. Something could be happening on your left to which you need to pay attention. Gormless pedestrian, emergency vehicle on the wrong side of the road, roadworks, etc. In this case, OP making a turn

I don't disagree (eg there's a crossing to the left of the road I live in, so
I have to look left to check there is no red light) but I think if you are on the wrong side of the road/crossing the opposite carriageway you are to blame for any accident.

Anyway it doesn't really matter whose fault it is. That's why we have insurance - the insurance companies can fight it out between them.