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 was at fault, Car A was already on the road and indicating so Car B needed to wait til the road was clear. That's how I would view it anyway! (Really hope you are Car A OP :) )

@ImMoana

I would have thought car A was in the wrong as B must have already been on the road for A to have hit them when turning... does depend on the quality of the drawing though

A didn’t hit B

Insurance verdict: 50:50

Op needs to clarify who moved when and how close the junctions were!

Haven't read the other replies, so as not to be influenced.

I'd say Car B was definitely at fault. Car A was on a main road and therefore has priority (because they would otherwise clog up the main road and stop the flow of traffic).

Car B might have assumed that Car A was turning into 'their' side road, rather than the one before it. But in that case, the onus is on Car B to wait until Car A's intentions are completely clear, rather than making assumptions. Car B was precipitate in this case.

@malmi

Insurance verdict: 50:50

Sadly I agree (but I still blame B)

Car A were stationary and began a manoeuvre across the carriage

It doesn't say this, it says they had slowed down and were indicating, not that they had come to a complete stop and were waiting for a gap in traffic before starting the manoeuvre.

Given the consequences I suspect they'd only slowed down enough to make the turn which they thought they could complete with the gap in traffic but failing to spot B. This would have meant B also more likely not to spot A and proceed cautiously

I'll drip feed now. Car B was a Ford transit van, Car A was an SUB. After accident he was in my face, asking what the fuck I was doing. Police and Ambulance were called, the Police as I feared his aggression. .

Yes, I was car A. A&E (taken in ambulance) assessed me. X-ray shows broken bones in my leg and my dominant hand was crushed (more dominant hand) with a "plethora" of breaks, leading to many breaks / fractures.

In my experience this would be a 50/50 fault claim without witnesses

@murmurgam

Car A were stationary and began a manoeuvre across the carriage

It doesn't say this, it says they had slowed down and were indicating, not that they had come to a complete stop and were waiting for a gap in traffic before starting the manoeuvre.

Given the consequences I suspect they'd only slowed down enough to make the turn which they thought they could complete with the gap in traffic but failing to spot B. This would have meant B also more likely not to spot A and proceed cautiously

B was joining traffic from a side road so should have been proceeding cautiously no matter what. Accelerating out of a side road only likely if there wasn’t a proper gap in traffic so wanting to rush so cars coming toward him didn’t have to brake.

B didn’t look left before pulling out!

Ouch. Sorry to hear that, OP. Wishing you the smoothest recovery possible.

Was A definitely indicating? Who began manoeuvre first. A has priority but not to the point they can cut across the road and for B to hit at any pace they could surely have already begun the manoeuvre before A indicated. Never clear cut imo.

@NothingOnButTheRadio

Sorry to hear you are hurt. If car B was aggressive I’d say he knows he’s at fault. Hope you get better soon.

B was probably looking right, not expecting anything to be ahead of it when it turned. A should probably have noted B waiting to turn out and anticipated it, but it's still B's fault for not looking ahead till too late. (Unless B was already most of the way out before A started turning).

Car B. Should be aware that car A would manouvere being on a main road etc.

@NothingOnButTheRadio

I'll drip feed now. Car B was a Ford transit van, Car A was an SUB. After accident he was in my face, asking what the fuck I was doing. Police and Ambulance were called, the Police as I feared his aggression. .

Yes, I was car A. A&E (taken in ambulance) assessed me. X-ray shows broken bones in my leg and my dominant hand was crushed (more dominant hand) with a "plethora" of breaks, leading to many breaks / fractures.

Oh so sorry, that sounds awful. Yes car B. but the insurance will sort it out, you just look after yourself. There will be a police report for the insurance as well. It will be a long job for you physio. following breaks perhaps.

@LordEmsworth

Front of car B hit side of car A? Definitely B's fault. Shouldn't be pulling out without looking and understanding what's going on in the road, so should have seen car A and not tried to beat it.

Yes, B into the side of A.

Your point about looking in each direction, is so very true

In reality the roads won't be as close as drawn, less than a car length apart. A has crossed the path of a car proceeding on the main carriageway.

B didn’t look left before pulling out!

Very few people do if they're turning left. Our driveway is not far from a junction, I never turn right into it I'd I can see someone waiting to turn left out of the junction ahead, I'm not waiting to see who the insurance company wants to decide who is at fault!

If car B was aggressive I’d say he knows he’s at fault.

While his behaviour is shit and I'm not at all defending him, sometimes people get angry when they're scared. If he's just had a car turn into his path and has smashed into someone, I imagine he's going to be pretty shaken up.

OP I'm sorry you're hurt - fingers crossed for a speedy recovery

@nokidshere

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.

I'd agree with this.

I'm always be cautious with vans and expect them to do unexpected things. A van indicating to turn into the road I am on/want to be on, is a classic hazard perception test click.
Sounds scary, I hope OP is okay.

Car B caused the accident.

Car B has right of way to join the lane of traffic on the main road as it does not involve crossing the carriageway and is a natural turn and can move off at speed.

Car A should have sat still until all oncoming traffic that has right of way has passed, that includes Car B whom she can see is about to join from the side road.

I have sat in this situation and always waited for the traffic I've seen will pull out from the side road as it is their side of the road they are joining and their natural right of way - I would have to cross the carriageway and get in their way potentially.

The child angle is irrelevant as the driver is always to blame in that instance even if the child runs directly out in front of the car with no warning. The assumption is to drive at a safe speed to stop safely to avoid pedestrian.

With cars - both will be in charge of a powerful engine and one is likely to be more wrong than the other in their anticipation/reaction to the other. I doubt any pedestrian would have crossed the road noticing ahead a car about to pull from a side road and join the main road anyway. However, Car A thought they could squeeze round, didn't have right of way though.

B should have waited for A to complete their manoeuvre.
My dad fell foul of exactly this situation.
An indicator flashing is not necessarily an indication of intention.