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

[Trexraaa]

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?

It will likely go 50/50. The truck wasn’t indicating so you had no idea which way he would turn. You should have held back, instead you presumed he was turning right and then stopped your car in his blind spot. There’s a possibility you will be held responsible as you drive alongside him rather than waiting your turn and allowing him the space a time to pull out.

This is what I was going to say too. Not to be an arse, just in case anyone else reading this thread and would have done the same!

The swing of a bus or lorry still needs plenty clearance.

Driving threads on here are really harsh, with everyone a perfect driver.

I mean the advice is correct to give lorries a wide berth due to their blind spots and space needed for turning, but I can easily see how this happened.

I can’t see that going alongside the lorry gave you any advantage at all, you wouldn’t have been able to take your left turn as you would have had no idea if the road was clear to the right until after the lorry had moved. But I expect you realise that now.

My rule of thumb is to stay away from lorries! My DF was a lorry driver and I used to go out with him a lot. I'll hang back at junctions to allow them to turn in as well (which gets a toot often but I'm keeping traffic moving).

We've all cocked up and done something saft but learn the lesson and be careful in future. The risk just isn't worth it.

It’ll probably go down as 50/50 with their lack of indicating. I always give lorries space at junctions and roundabouts if I’m not sure which way they’ll go because I know the blind spots are huge. I don’t care if I have to wait a bit, they make me nervous. Glad you were all OK OP, you made a misjudgment, the lorry driver also did by not indicating, but it could have been worse.

I am a learner driver and this was in the theory, they you can't tell which way a long vehicle is going to go when turning, and you need to stay well behind or they won't be able to see you in their mirrors. But it was only on a drive this week and I'm nearly test ready, that I was behind a bus turning and realised just how far they swing out. If you are a new driver and hadn't witnessed that I can see why you thought what you did, but I do think you were in the wrong.

Everyone makes daft mistakes when they pass their test. That's when you 'learn how to drive' It's pure luck if it doesn't turn into an expensive mistake.

Learn from it and move on. Keep big things in front until they're totally out of your way. Don't drive behind one and let one sit behind you on fast roads and just generally be wary of the buggers for flying wheels that can write off your car even.

Plenty of wits.

I would love for part of the driver training to be going out with a lorry driver for a few hours (and a motorcyclist if at all possible which is harder) to see things on the road from another prospective

Don’t know really but I wouldn’t have gone on the inside of a lorry straddling lanes. Always stay behind just in case.

Wasn’t the driver indicating?

I'm assuming this too - OP keep back from Lorrie's as they drive differently as they've got a payload and different turning requirements, just hold right back
Glad you're all ok - my uncle sadly died in a lorry collision - it wasn't his fault but unfortunately it's a bit late when it's done and someone dies

Sorry, but this. Never squeeze yourself next to a lorry. Stay back, let them do what they're doing, and then go. Even if you're in a rush, taking risks like that isn't worth it.

I commonly end up wanting to turn left when a lorry, farm vehicle or bus is turning right at a roundabout with two lanes. Even when my lane is clear and I have space, I always hang behind and wait for the bigger vehicle to go. It might hold traffic up a little but I just don’t feel safe sitting where they can’t see me. I’m sure you’ll never do this again though.

If it was a single lane you should have hung back, especially as the lorry was not indicating.

I do not think it was as clear cut as some are saying. You were a bit foolish to position yourself as you did. But you were stationary and the lorry drove into your car. I’d pass it to your insurance company and see what they make of it.

Single lane
Lorry was there first
You're at fault here i would say

Unless you are far enough behind, they can’t see you. You shouldn’t be in a lorry’s blind spot. He should have indicated, but people can also indicate wrong, you can never fully assume, always leave yourself space.

Chalk this one up to experience, no one was hurt, which is the lost important thing

Yikes you were definitely at fault but I’m glad you are safe and sound, this could have ended very badly.

You'll usually see a sticker on the bottom rear left of the lorry warning you this is his blind spot and he can't see you. It would have been better to hold back and wait. For future reference if you ever get the opportunity to sit in a lorry driver seat in a stationary lorry just climb up and do it, then you'll understand why they can't see in that blind spot. Cyclists have died doing exact the same manoeuvre.

I agree with the comments stating that you should have held back. Never argue with a lorry, so to speak.

Let's face it, the truth could have been that the lorry driver might have thought he needed to turn right and then at the last minute made a snap decision that he needed to turn left, with no visibility that you had snuck in to his left. He made his manoeuvre accordingly.

you aren't an idiot. You did make an error in judgement. Who hasn't done that at some point in their driving career.

best thing is to give the full facts to your insurance company from your perspective including any photos you might have taken, and let them liaise with the lorry driver's insurance company. Don't embellish the facts, be honest about the sequence of events.

So it wasn't two lanes, just a wide single lane, and you went up beside the truck? It will be entirely your fault then from insurance perspective then

OP even if he had have turned right as you expected. Youd have got hit by his back end swinging out. You were absolutely wrong to get so close to a turning lorry and you're very lucky to be uninjured.

But the op wasn’t there when the lorry pulled up to the junction. Op saw the lorry, presumed they were turning right despite the lack of indicators and then proceeded to drive on the inside of the stationary lorry. This is also a single lane road. I agree, it’s not that clear cut however the lorry driver had no idea that a car was going to drive alogside and stop in their blind spot. The lorry driver didn’t have a chance

I’m so sorry to read this. 💐 I am very grateful thst we are all ok, I had my little girl in the car too.

All I want to say is for Christ sake be careful, you could’ve been killed.

it doesn’t matter who was at fault. Give lorries a wide berth. There’s no point in being right but dead.