It is not always a simple task to identify who is at fault for a car accident. While some collisions are caused by mistakes of all parties involved, many are caused because of the mistake of a single party. Deciding who is at fault for accidents involving turns can be confusing. However, examining traffic laws will help make it clear which party is at fault for turn accidents.

Accidents Involving Left-Hand Turns

For accidents where one car was attempting a left turn, the turning car is usually at fault. This fault is assigned to the turning driver because they are responsible for yielding to oncoming traffic. There are exceptions to this fault, including instances where a driver runs a red light and collides with the car waiting to turn left.

Accidents Involving Right-Hand Turns

As with left-hand turns, vehicles attempting a right turn during an accident are typically placed at fault. While it is legal to turn right during a red light, drivers are required to yield to oncoming traffic and safely merge with it. Many drivers have the bad habit of rolling through right turns—an action that increases their fault and makes an accident more likely to occur. Sometimes, drivers pull too far into an intersection to check if it is safe to complete a right turn—this is also a common source of accidents. This type of accident is most easily avoided by waiting for a light to turn green if visibility is not optimal.

Accidents Involving Wide-Turning Trucks

If you’ve driven behind a truck, you’ve likely seen that many feature a warning for wide turns on their backend. Many large trucks need to accomplish a wide swing to get around corners. Though swinging wide is unavoidable for large trucks needing to turn, their drivers must accomplish any maneuvers safely. A driver’s failure to swing their truck safely will place them at fault for an accident.

Defending Yourself from the Other Driver’s False Claims

Police reports are a crucial part of determining who is legally responsible for an accident. Law enforcement officials typically record details about the scene of an accident and state their opinion regarding who is at fault for the accident. If the other driver is accusing you of being at fault when you did not cause the accident, try to obtain a copy of the police report for your accident. The police report may strengthen your claims, depending on what the officer recorded.

If the other party is blaming you for an accident that was not your fault, it is time to hire the help of a car accident attorney. A lawyer will fight so that you are not forced to take responsibility for an accident that you did not cause. No one deserves to take responsibility for the reckless actions of another and a car accident will help fight to prevent this from happening to you.