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Original poster

My car was hit by a lorry. Who is at fault here?

328 replies

Trexraaa · 11/04/2024 11:06

I approached a junction with a lorry waiting at it. I thought the lorry was going right due to its positioning on the road. I know they have to go wide but this guy was literally in the middle of the road. He wasn’t indicating. I’m going left so I pull up on the left side of the junction where I am now side by side with the lorry. I am stationary and checking left and right for a gap to go. The lorry then decides to go left and crashes into the side of my car. I must have been in his blind spot for him not to see us. That’s my car written off but at least we are all ok. Am I at fault?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
SausageinaBun · 11/04/2024 11:07

If you were stationary then the lorry is at fault.

Saymyname28 · 11/04/2024 11:10

You stopped in a lorrys blind spot while it was waiting at a junction? Absolute dipshit move there OP. Legally it could come down to his fault as he moved and you were stationary. But for future reference. Give lorrys a wide berth especially when you know they are turning. They can't see shit up there.

Saymyname28 · 11/04/2024 11:11

Also they lane straddle like that for a reason. So cars don't go beside them and get hit when they turn "he was literally in the middle of the road" yes. Becuase he knew he needed all of it.

CamoPenguin · 11/04/2024 11:13

I'm not sure who will be found at fault, but if you went up the inside of a lorry, knowing they need the space to turn, most likely sitting in their blind spot, then you should absolutely be fully liable. It was a stupid, dangerous thing to do.

WarshipRocinante · 11/04/2024 11:13

Why did you go up the inside of a lorry? Are you a new driver?

DavTen · 11/04/2024 11:13

Whether it was indicating or not, it got to the junction first and it had to go one way or the other.

Even if it was turning right you'd have been in the way where you were, due to its length.

BallaiLuimni · 11/04/2024 11:14

He should have been indicating. Nevertheless you did something very stupid - did you not see how dangerous it was?

Magnastorm · 11/04/2024 11:14

You drove into a blindspot of a lorry waiting to turn. You'll likely be found at least partially at fault. Incredibly stupid thing to do.

user1471505356 · 11/04/2024 11:14

That what insurance is for, it really doesn't matter who is at fault, most accidents with lorries are fatal for the car occupants.

Original poster
Trexraaa · 11/04/2024 11:14

WarshipRocinante · 11/04/2024 11:13

Why did you go up the inside of a lorry? Are you a new driver?

Yup. I thought he was going right. I’m an idiot. 😬

OP posts:
MonsteraMama · 11/04/2024 11:15

Were there lanes at the junction and you were in the left and he the right/overlapping both? Not ideal of him to not be indicating but I wouldn't be squeezing up alongside a lorry in its blind spot even if he was indicating and I was 99% sure I knew what direction he was going in. Too risky.

DeepFriedKermit · 11/04/2024 11:15

I think you're at fault here OP - you never go on the inside of a lorry. It doesn't matter whether he was indicating or not.

You should have hung back and let the lorry do what he was doing. I think you're going to have a fight with his/your insurance company

WarshipRocinante · 11/04/2024 11:16

Trexraaa · 11/04/2024 11:14

Yup. I thought he was going right. I’m an idiot. 😬

Show quote history

But why did you think he was going right? He wasn’t signalling and lorries have to position themselves like that if they are going left as well.

You’ll probably get off with it because he wasn’t signalling and you were stationary or something but this is entirely on you.

A lorry not signalling but you know they will turn one way or the other… so drive up and sit in their blind spot. That’s how cyclists get killed. You’re very lucky you were in a car and not injured. Don’t drive up the inside of a lorry again.

weareallcats · 11/04/2024 11:17

I remember someone getting very angry and tooting their horn at me because I was waiting behind a lorry at a roundabout, rather than driving up and waiting next to it. Good job I didn’t allow myself to get bullied as I’d have got squished.

That said, I don’t recall learning about this when I was learning to drive (20 years ago)!

NeverDropYourMooncup · 11/04/2024 11:18

Would 'being in the right' have been any consolation to your family if he'd driven over your head?

You're alive.

Original poster
Trexraaa · 11/04/2024 11:19

MonsteraMama · 11/04/2024 11:15

Were there lanes at the junction and you were in the left and he the right/overlapping both? Not ideal of him to not be indicating but I wouldn't be squeezing up alongside a lorry in its blind spot even if he was indicating and I was 99% sure I knew what direction he was going in. Too risky.

I didn’t have to squeeze in. There was ample space. You could have got another lorry in there.

OP posts:
gamerchick · 11/04/2024 11:19

He should have indicated. Maybe he did and his bulbs out.

However, never sit in a lorries blind spot. I give them a wide berth, even if im sure which way they're going. Just not worth it.

ageratum1 · 11/04/2024 11:19

I think it will probably be knock for knock.

Scampuss · 11/04/2024 11:19

You messed up, but it sounds like you weren't injured, and you won't do it again, so just chalk it up to experience and be more careful in future

Always allow trucks plenty of space as you can't judge how much space they'll need to manoeuvre. Even if it was going right it still could have caught you as it turned.

ViveLaOeuf · 11/04/2024 11:20

If a lorry is straddling lanes at a junction it's a really bad idea to go up either side of it tbh, irrespective of which way you think it's going to turn and even if it does indicate. You're supposed to stay behind and let it negotiate the junction.

I have no idea what the insurance companies will decide though. Depends on number of witness statements and size of the claims I expect?

randomchap · 11/04/2024 11:20

Was it two lanes with the lorry in the right one, or a single wide lane with space for you to go on the left?

ageratum1 · 11/04/2024 11:21

ageratum1 · 11/04/2024 11:19

I think it will probably be knock for knock.

Unless you can prove he wasn't signalling, but he might have been and you couldn't see because you were alongside him

HappierTimesAhead · 11/04/2024 11:21

@Trexraaa don't give yourself too hard a time as you are a new driver and I think we all make some odd judgement calls when we are less experienced! Sounds scary.

Original poster
Trexraaa · 11/04/2024 11:21

Scampuss · 11/04/2024 11:19

You messed up, but it sounds like you weren't injured, and you won't do it again, so just chalk it up to experience and be more careful in future

Always allow trucks plenty of space as you can't judge how much space they'll need to manoeuvre. Even if it was going right it still could have caught you as it turned.

Thanks. Yeah, hard lesson learned.

OP posts:
TheNurdnugget · 11/04/2024 11:22

I think you've learned your lesson. I think you'll struggle to get anything for this one, luckily you are ok.

I work in the industry and the amount of accidents caused by car users not using a brain cell around something that weighs 44t is ridiculous. Don't get me started on the special loads that have convoys on them, apparently flashing orange lights mean drive like a prat and overtake to some... When I first started working one of our drivers asked me to get in the cab. He then walked around to show me what you can see in the mirrors. It's terrifying how little can be seen. I then had a go in one on a track day, they are hard work to manoeuvre.