Who Is At Fault In A Left-Turn Collision Car Accident?

Who Is At Fault In A Left Turn Collision Car Accident? Left-turn accidents occur when a driver drives into an intersection without yielding to road users with the right of way. Regardless of how a left-turn collision occurs, the resulting angle of crash or side-impact collision can cause severe injury or death.

Determining the at-fault party after a side-impact collision is crucial when allocating injury-related losses. According to Maryland laws, it is illegal to make a left turn without considering other drivers with a right of way.

Sometimes, a driver who makes a left turn that results in a crash may not be at fault for the incident. 

Consult a trusted Baltimore car accident attorney if you or a loved one has sustained an injury in a car accident caused by someone else. We can protect your rights.

Who Is At Fault In A Left-Turn Collision Car Accident In Maryland?

The driver making a left turn into a main road or an intersection is often liable for failure to yield to someone with a right of way. According to Maryland traffic laws, drivers who violate another person’s right of way cover all injury-related losses.

Left-turn drivers often misjudge the speed of oncoming vehicles, which reduces their stopping distance and can lead to a side-impact or rear-end collision. Distractions such as texting and driving can also cause a driver to turn left into an intersection.

Sometimes, the left-turning driver might not be guilty if they had the right of way at the time of the accident.

How a Motor Vehicle Accident Attorney Can Help

A car accident attorney can thoroughly investigate the crash to determine fault and prepare a compensation claim. An attorney may consider several factors when determining fault in a left-turn accident.

For instance, they can investigate whether the left-turning driver followed the applicable traffic regulations, including speed limits. The process involves analyzing physical evidence, including skid marks, eyewitness statements, and vehicle damage.

What To Know About Fault In Left-Turn Accidents in Maryland

A driver turning left has the right of way when following the left green arrow. In other situations, the person must yield to oncoming traffic driving through the intersection, including pedestrians in a crosswalk. 

A driver must also yield the right of way to motorists on the right at a stop sign and approaching vehicles when turning left onto a street.

Here are a few negligent behaviors that contribute to left-turn accidents:

• Distracted driving activities like texting and driving
• Turning in the presence of an obstructed view
• Traveling beyond prescribed speed limits or too fast for prevailing weather or traffic conditions
• Failure to use turn signals

Why Are Left-Hand Turns Dangerous?

Drivers who make a left-hand turn without due consideration expose themselves and other road users to the risk of a crash. Any driver intending to make a left turn should make a sober decision when determining the speed of oncoming vehicles.

Here are additional reasons why making left turns is a dangerous maneuver:

• Drivers making left-hand turns disrupt the traffic flow
• Left-hand turns require more energy than right-turns, exposing them to danger if distracted or intoxicated
• Left-hand turns require the use of signals, something that many drivers ignore
• Drivers accelerate when making left-hand turns, so a collision with a pedestrian or vehicle has catastrophic consequences.
• Drivers making a left-hand turn have a limited or distracted view of traffic from the opposite direction.

Left-Turn Accident Statistics

In a recent year, Maryland drivers were involved in 3,000 pedestrian crashes, 92% of which resulted in injury or death. 

The NHTSA estimates that 53.1% of crossing-path crashes involve left turns, with 5.7% involving right turns. Here are some left-turn accident statistics in the U.S.:

• There were 453 fatalities in 2022 involving failure to yield the right of way
• In 2019, T-bone accidents accounted for 23% of all accident fatalities, highlighting the dangers of left-turns

When Is The Left-Turn Driver Not At Fault?

Although it is illegal to disregard the right of way, there are unique circumstances that extinguish fault to drivers who make left-hand turns. 

Here are a few examples:

• Aggressive Driving: The left-hand turning driver may be innocent if the other driver drove carelessly during the crash.
• Unforeseen Circumstances: Suppose an unforeseen circumstance made a driver make a left-hand turn to avoid impending danger. In that case, the oncoming vehicle may be liable for injury-related losses incurred by the victims.
• Running Through a Stop Sign: Drivers who fail to stop at a stop sign may crash with innocent road users making a left-hand turn. If you make a left-hand turn, hoping the oncoming traffic will yield, the other driver may be liable for the losses.

How To Properly Make A Left Turn

Drivers take a single skills test, making them too comfortable with existing rules. Road users should continuously upgrade their skills to enhance their navigation, particularly at busy intersections.

The following tips can help you make safe left-hand turns:

• Activate your turn signal or blinker before making a left turn
• Be prepared to come to a complete halt when approaching an intersection, stop sign or when joining a main road
• Be aware of traffic conditions by noting the prescribed speed limit and the speed used by other drivers
• If there’s a break in traffic, make sure you can successfully make a left-hand turn on time to avoid oncoming vehicles
• Be patient; drivers on the throughway heading straight have a right of way
• Make sure nothing obstructs your view, including glare and other cars, before making a left turn

Injured in a Left-Turn Crash? Get in Touch With an Experienced Baltimore Car Accident Attorney

You deserve compensation if you sustained an injury in a left-turn crash caused by a negligent driver. An experienced attorney can investigate to find the liable party and pursue a fair settlement value for your losses.

Bob Katz Law is a skilled motor vehicle accident attorney with a proven track record of representing injured victims. Contact us online or at 410-576-4287 to get a free consultation.