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

Do you know if there were any white lines at the junction car B pulled out of?

It is possible to be 3m if you live in a certain Surrey town...there's a junction exactly as described.
I hope you make a good recovery OP.

I think it's car As fault as car B had time to get on the main road and start moving. Thus car A turned across the path of car B. Sorry to hear about the injury and the aggressive driver op. Hope you get better soon.

Or any signs to give way, etc.

www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/road-junctions.html

@vanillandhoney

I was trickling forward - it's a done thing as it's a busy road. He would've seen this, and my early indicator.

But if you're going to be crossing a lane of traffic, you need to stop if it's not safe, regardless of how busy it is. You can't just "trickle forward" and hope people stop for you to cross their path.

A is in the wrong. You crossed his line Whether he has seen you indicating or not is not the point. He turned onto a clear main road and you crossed into his path when you should have waited to cross.

I would say technically A is at fault because B was already on the main road by the time A was turning. Where B had come from was irrelevant at that point.

I think you're underestimating the distance between the 2 junctions. 3m is approx 3 kerb lengths....that's not enough space for anything.

It is I'm afraid. It certainly isn't that uncommon to have two roads very close to one another like this, in my experience.

Sorry you're hurt, OP, but I think you're at fault. The van turned out as it was clear for him and then you pulled across to turn right. Just going by your description here..

Once he had joined the main road, on the opposite side to you, your gap wasn't there so you shouldn't have carried out the manoeuvre. Very poor observation. If a works van then he likely has a dash cam.

Would B have been going fast enough to do that much damage if he'd just pulled out ? An ambulance and broken bones?

I'm not convinced A wasn't to blame inching along to save petrol?

I'm far too invested in this thread.

Car a as they cross the line and basically pull in front of an oncoming car

Car B had strayed into Car A’s path? Car B at fault. No witness? You said traffic.

I'd say car A at fault, as it crossed the path of car B.

Car A should be turning at a right angle. If cutting the corner then it’s a different story.

It will all come down to timing, if B had moved into the main road before A started their turn, then A would be at fault , if they were both moving at the same time the B is at fault.

OP, do you mean that the lane between you and the side road was full of cars and you were using a gap where a car let you through?

I'm imagining some of the roads around me (w. London) and the only way to turn right off the main carriageway is to be let out or wait until nighttime.

If so, while creeping out is "the done thing," there is still no provision for it in the highway code and so you'd be ay fault.

Might have completely misunderstood though.

I hope you have a smooth recovery.

Oh I think I’ve misunderstood. Depends but A shouldn’t turn unless road is clear.

What speed did he hit you to do so much damage ? Hope you're not in too much pain.

Car b IMO.

Surely if your leg and hand is broken then the impact must have been to the front or driver side of you car meaning he was on the main road before you turned?

I do hope you recover quickly though.

I don't see how the impact could have been on anything other than the passenger side. She said that he hit her and not the other way around.

For b to have done that amount of damage to have broken your leg, they must have exited the road at speed and been on the main road when a started turning.

A is at fault.

Car B

If it helps I worked for an insurance company for a number of years. This is straightforward, the van pulled out from a side road without checking the coast was clear. It doesn’t matter what you did as his manoeuvre was at fault. He is to blame

I actually created an account to comment here, as I simply cannot believe how many people think that B is even possibly at fault. Turning left to join a road you look right, because there can only be someone coming the other way if they’re on the wrong side of the road. If it’s clear as you approach the road, you could well be doing 15 or 20 as you round the corner into the road.

OP evidently thought she had more time than she did, but is completely in the wrong here: she pulled across a lane of traffic when it (evidently!) wasn’t safe to do so. Van was established on the road, & you cut him up, dangerously. Your insurance should be paying.

Only read page one and an important factor is the distance between the side roads.

If the two side roads are relatively close then this is a classic case of drivers not making their intentions clear. Car A is clear about intent i.e they intend to turn right. Presumably car B is clearly signalling left also.

The proximity of the side roads is so close that both drivers should have realised there was a clear chance of conflict if they both progressed with their intentions at the same time.

One might hope that one would signal an intent to give way to the other and reinforce that intent.

For example, A could have remained in the middle of the road waiting until B had made the left turn and cleared the area. .

Bottom line, i would say that Car A is liable because B has already turned left and is driving forward when A has turned across their path.

In the end, insurance companies decide liability, not drivers. If i were car B i would insist on this defence to my insurance co .