Who Is Usually at Fault in Left-Turn Accidents at Busy Intersections?
The driver making a left turn is often found at fault when a collision occurs with an approaching vehicle because traffic laws require those drivers to yield to oncoming vehicles. However, that does not mean the turning driver is automatically responsible for every left-turn accident.
Traffic signals, vehicle speeds, visibility, and the actions of both drivers can all affect who is ultimately responsible for a crash.
Why Left-Turning Drivers Are Often Found at Fault
Louisiana drivers turning left must yield to vehicles approaching from the opposite direction when they are close enough to create an immediate hazard.
A driver who misjudges the speed or distance of an approaching vehicle and turns across its path may be responsible for the resulting collision. Turning left on a green arrow changes the situation because opposing traffic should be stopped by a red light.
The same basic duty for left-turn drivers to yield to oncoming traffic applies when entering or leaving a parking lot, driveway, or business.
Busy Metairie Intersections Can Make Left Turns More Complicated
Metairie has several large intersections where drivers making left turns have to navigate multiple lanes, wide medians, and long distances between opposite sides of the roadway.
At intersections like Veterans Memorial Boulevard and Clearview Parkway, drivers may have to travel well into the intersection before completing a left turn into the correct lanes. Turning too sharply, drifting out of a designated turn lane, or becoming confused about which side of a wide median to enter can put a vehicle in the path of other traffic.
The Oncoming Driver Can Also Be Responsible
The fact that one vehicle was turning left does not automatically excuse everything the approaching driver was doing. An oncoming driver may contribute to an accident by:
- Running a red light
- Approaching the intersection at an unsafe or unexpectedly high speed
- Making an unsafe lane change
- Driving without required headlights at night
- Engaging in other dangerous or illegal behavior
Speed can be especially important in a disputed left-turn accident. A driver turning left may reasonably believe there is enough time to turn based on the distance of an approaching vehicle.
If the driver making a left turn assumes the oncoming driver is going between 40 and 50 mph, but they are actually approaching at more than 60 mph, that oncoming vehicle may reach the intersection before the turning driver has time to safely complete the turn.
That does not necessarily eliminate the turning driver's responsibility, but it can affect how fault is divided between the drivers.
What If Both Drivers Say They Had the Green Light?
Some left-turn accidents come down to conflicting accounts of what happened.
The turning driver may insist they had a protected green arrow, while the approaching driver says their light was green. When both drivers tell different stories, evidence from outside the vehicles can become especially important.
Investigating the accident may involve looking for traffic or surveillance video, dashcam footage, witness statements, and information about the traffic signal. The police report, location of the collision, and damage to the vehicles may also help establish how the accident happened.
This is one reason preserving evidence quickly after a disputed intersection accident can be important. Surveillance footage from a nearby business, for example, may not be kept indefinitely.
More Than One Driver Can Be at Fault
Louisiana's comparative fault rules allow responsibility to be divided when the actions of multiple people contribute to an accident.
The evidence surrounding the collision becomes particularly important in these cases because each driver's actions can affect the amount of compensation an injured person is ultimately able to recover.
Don't Assume the Left-Turning Driver Is Automatically Responsible
Left-turning drivers often have a duty to yield if there’s no green arrow, but traffic in Metairie can be complicated, and oncoming drivers can potentially be reckless, inattentive, or otherwise negligent.
If you've been injured in a left-turn accident in Metairie or elsewhere in the New Orleans area, Lawyer Don can investigate what happened and help you pursue compensation from the responsible driver.
Call (504) 217-2250 for a free consultation with auto accident lawyer Donald D'Aunoy Jr. You pay no attorney fees unless he wins your case.
