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

[NothingOnButTheRadio]

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

Car B must have already turned left onto the main road if they were able to hit car A surely?

In which case A must have turned into Bs path making it As fault.

Was A indicating? If A was not indicating then B would have assumed A was driving straight on.

OP says in first post:

Car A had slowed down to turn into the first road on the right and was indicating.

It depends where the point of impact is on As car. If the rear doors or towards the boot are damaged it would seem to imply that A had already started the turn before B came out of the side road. If the front passenger door of As car is damaged that would imply that B had exited the junction before A started to turn and technically A pulled out in front of B. Hopefully one or preferably both have dash cam footage to help the insurance company make a decision.

And yes if B had pulled out before A started turning then it would be As fault....though you’d argue that they should have been able to stop before going into the side of someone if they’d only just pulled out the side road themselves.....they shouldn’t have been going that fast!

Car B is at fault if A had crossed the middle line. If it was the same road that car B was emerging from that A was driving into I think it would be more straightforward but if B entered the carriageway then it depends on A’s position I think.

I couldn't understand why there would have been a collision here. Thanks to soupdragon for pointing out it was two different side roads.

I agree that Car A was arguably at fault then because car B had right of way once they were on the road. Car B would be checking what was coming from the right, not expecting car A to drive across their path.

It's probably one for the insurers to fight out, but it would be quicker and easier just to say each pays for their own customer's damage in this case.

@raspberryk

Surely A is at fault, B must have been proceeding on the main road by the time A turned to cross the carriageway.

That's how I'd see it.

@JacobReesMogadishu

And yes if B had pulled out before A started turning then it would be As fault....though you’d argue that they should have been able to stop before going into the side of someone if they’d only just pulled out the side road themselves.....they shouldn’t have been going that fast!

Yes, why are both cars written off?

Car B... if A had already crossed the line to turn.
Car A... if They turned as B was already half way out their junction.

I am guessing you’re car A, by the point of view of the diagram.

Why is car B driving on the right? Or am I confused?

@Malahaha I think there are 2 roads.

Oh I get it. Two roads on the right. Thought it was a dual carriageway.

Car A has right of way and car B is at fault and there would be no wriggle room on liability as the vehicle on the main road has priority. If car B hit A's nearside or even front quarter then that will be taken as confirmation that car B had taken a right of way they didn't have.

Where has each car made contact?

Either way it’s going to be difficult to prove unless either of you has dashcam footage or the damage to the car makes it obvious that A turned into B’s path.

Yes, my (very, very amateur) detective work makes me think that for B to have "ploughed in" to A with enough force to write the cars off, they were going at some speed and it's therefore likely that the roads were not as close as the drawing implies, and the collision was A's fault.

OP, I hope you're not too shaken up and can get insurance sorted ASAP.

Car A is at fault. B was entitled to pull out onto the main road because the space was clear for them to do so initially. This manoeuvre took place before reaching any road A was in. B was then driving along the main road and A pulled across them.

Brill responses! Going to wait a bit for more answers before telling you!

@KTheGrey But car B is on a different road to the one A is pulling into so if they got onto the main road first they were both on the main road.

I would have said car B is at fault because A is already on the road.

Indicators are used for what you intend to do, not what you actually will do. B should have seen that A was slowing down and indicating before pulling out. B is not paying attention.

Is there no sign at the end of the road B was on to say be aware of traffic turning right?

I thought car B on the wrong side of the road then I realised it is two roads with a strip of land in between? Thats not a standard junction where A & B couldn't collide as they were going in opposite directions.

Does the relevance of the steady stream of traffic mean A & B may both be waiting a while to pull out? The distance between the two roads looks to me like A has shot across the road trying to beat the traffic and B was already on the road.

If B was in a position to 'plough into' A, then B was already on the major road before A began their manoeuvre, so A was at fault.

I presume you are A from the emotive language.

I am at a loss to see why there was an accident, both should be done for careless driving IMO!

If B was in a position to hit A, then B must have already been on the main room. If A managed to get hit in the side, it sounds like they turned into B's path while B was driving straight on.

A should have waited. Sounds like they were too slow to make the manoeuvre. Just because you're indicating to turn right, doesn't mean it's safe to actually do so.

@NothingOnButTheRadio

Brill responses! Going to wait a bit for more answers before telling you!

Why?