AIBU to think I have no liability here? (diagram attached)

[WiggyClawsThe2nd]

I think I'm fairly sure on this but can't stop panicking so I thought I'd ask on here.
Friday night I had a car accident. It was a real shock and it's only now that I've stopped to think about it that I'm feeling really really cross.
In the diagram I'm the blue line, the other driver is the green line. The thick lines show where we went, the thin lines indicate where you would have expected us to be going. Given that the lady tried to tell me she'd been going straight on when obviously she didn't makes me wonder if she had a mad moment!
Anyway, this particular roundabout leads onto a bridge over a dual carriageway. On the other side of this bridge you can go left onto a local road, or right to join the dual carriageway.
When we joined the roundabout, the other car was to my left. Neither of us indicated before joining the roundabout, however I did indicate left after I passed the 1st left exit as I was planning to go over the bridge and turn right to join the duel carriageway. As I was about to leave the roundabout the lady turned in front of me to head back round the roundabout and I hit her in the side of the car. Slow speed, maybe 15 mph.
It turns out that we have the same insurance company just to complicate matters.
I'm pretty sure that she is liable for this accident, what do you all think?

YABU: you are liable
YANBU: you are not liable

Chat GPT said GREEN is at fault here

I hate roundabouts but if I remember correctly you are supposed to filter out to the left lane before you exit, hence you were also in the wrong lane.

From experience of a similar accident, the person in the outside lane has right of way / priority. So, while her driving was shit, she did have right of way.

I think if you have dashcam footage, you stand a chance - if you do not then its likely to be 50/50.

@WiggyClawsThe2nd

Before kids (so about 6 years ago now) I used to sort out RTA liability and run claims for a living. Worked for a few heavy hitting insurer names.

In theory you’re not in the wrong but honestly roundabouts are a nightmare. They’re well known as being just a massive pain in the bum that nobody wants to end up in court squabbling over. They often settle on split liability purely because the two insurance companies don’t want the time and effort involved in fighting it out and ultimately from the moment an accident is reported a big game of liability chicken begins with the potential expense of court hanging over whichever side holds out longest.

The exception being when one party has pulled out without right of way and gone directly into the others near side. Those are much more cut and dry. When it comes to ‘I was taking that exit they were taking this exit’ I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they split liability and call it a day. Personally I think that’s your most likely outcome, unless you get a rather diligent case handler.

Im also not sure if things have changed in the last few years.

You weren't in the wrong lane at all. I don't understand these responses but driving threads on MN are always bonkers.

There's lots of roundabouts near here on A roads where left lane is left and straight on, right lane is straight on or right (past 12 o clock). Sounds like this roundabout is similar. I've seen cars have narrow misses doing what this lady did, they are definitely in the wrong but I don't know the ins and outs of insurance

But what if there's two lanes on the road you're exiting on to, everybody doesn't have to come in to the left lane surely

As you drove into the side of her I am pretty sure they will insist on 50/50 despite her being in the wrong lane.

Chat GTP was claiming that it was 100% the blue car's fault earlier in the thread!

It will all be on how people word the inputs. A perfect example of why shouldn't trust AI.

No, but you do need to check that the lane you are crossing is clear. On many roundabouts (though not this one) if you perfectly legitimately join at 6 at leave at 12, as the OP did, using the inner lane of the roundabout you will come into conflict with someone else perfectly legitimately joining at 9 and exiting at 3 using the outside lane on the roundabout unless you check before crossing the lane

That's not what your post said, you stated absolutes when they don't exist. There are rules in the absence of other indications but you can't just say without knowing the junction that what you stated is correct.

Believing in absolutes does explain why so many people cut me up at the end of the dual carriageway where left lane is left only and right is straight on and right

There's no traffic able to join at 9. It's an exit only.

Nope, that wasn't what it said!!

You remember incorrectly. Where there are 2 exits you stick to your lane. It was doing what you said that caused someone to drive into the side of me at a 2 lane roundabout exit - she assumed everyone leaving the roundabout would be in the left lane like she was, so having left the roundabout and seeing a parked car ahead in her lane, she didn't check when then moving from left lane to right, and hit the rear left side of my car with the front right corner of hers, as I was in the right hand lane.

Despite all her screaming and demanding I pay her, i went through the insurance, which of course went 50/50. No way was i dealing with her. She was totally in the wrong, but it's a roundabout, where 50/50 is the usual way.

@WiggyClawsThe2nd can you get a clearer screen shot of the junction? One where you can see the lines and arrows?

Roundabouts often go 50:50, there are often changes in markings as you go around to allow for weaving and changing lanes to get to the exit you want. Also people do make a lot of mistakes particularly if they don't know the road, so you should always be prepared to give way or take avoiding action. You might be able to argue that it wasn't your fault at all, but if the other party disputes which entry they came in, which it sounds like they might, it will get difficult. Any dashcam footage?

If your car is an economic write off, ask if they will repair with second hand bits, or if you can get the car back and get it repaired more cheaply yourself.

As someone who worked in motor Claims (albeit 30 years ago,) this clinches it for me.

She was in the left/ outside lane. The highway code, which insurers work from in these situations, says you can go left or straight on from in that lane. The right / inside lane is for going straight on or for turning right into the third exit (or multiples thereof)

She was in the wrong to be in that lane and attempt to continue to the third exit (even if that were possible here) or to drive back around the roundabout.

I would be stressing this to my insurance company that she was driving contrary to the highway code, in the wrong lane for the direction she was taking.

She couldn't have joined at previous entry as it's exit only.

Thank you so much for this!

She was 100% in the wrong because according to your beautiful diagram, you can only go left or straight on at that roundabout. Even if there was a third exit point, you never stay in the left hand lane to make a right turn. 🤷🏻‍♀️

She tried to cut across you to go around the roundabout again presumably because she didn’t have a scooby where she was going??

Therefore, if she wanted to go around the roundabout twice, she should have stuck to the inside lane.

The third turning is entry only and clearly only for traffic joining the roundabout, presumably off the dual carriageway slip road?

As you’re both with the same insurer that should make things easier in terms of getting your claim resolved faster.

If your car isn’t seriously damaged and you’re short on funds, it’s often cheaper to offer to buy it off the insurer and then pay a small local garage to complete the repairs. They’re usually far cheaper than a main dealership.

Have you given all the details to the insurer about how she cut across you?

Generally speaking the person most at fault is the person crossing lanes and I’m afraid that’s you.

I hope everyone that is adamant OP was in the wrong lane is NOT a driver themselve FFS

If you are on a 3 lane road at a roundabout, can you be in the middle lane and take the 3rd exit? I assumed you had to be in the right hand lane to take a third (more minor) exit. No markings on the road to tell you.

Unless one of you had a dashcam and can prove it wasn't your fault then it will likely be 50/50 fault for both of you.

Her being in the wrong place doesn't negate the fact that you didn't look properly before moving lanes, though.

She will argue that you drove into the side of her. Which you did.