If you find yourself involved in a car accident resulting from a driver making an improper turn, you are not alone. The Insurance Information Institute reports that improper turns resulted in almost 500 fatal crashes in 2017 in the United States.
If you suffered injuries or losses due to another driver making an improper turn, a Los Angeles improper turns lawyer might be able to help you receive possible compensation for your injuries and losses. Contact our team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444 for more information.
Types of Improper Turns
The following are the most common types of improper turns that occur on the roadways. Each type of turn has its own set of guidelines regarding what the state of California considers to be either legal or illegal.
Improper Left Turns
Improper left turns occur at intersections when a driver attempts to cross lanes of traffic to head in a different direction. If a driver needs to make a left turn, they have the legal obligation to yield to all oncoming traffic and ensure that their way is clear of pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists.
If a driver must make a left turn at an intersection, they are legally allowed to pull into the intersection. However, they are not legally allowed to make the left turn until all traffic completely passes their vehicle, and the way is clear, according to California Vehicle Code Chapter 6 22100(b).
Unfortunately, many drivers are in a hurry and misjudge whether the traffic has completely cleared, or misjudge the speed of the other vehicles approaching the intersection from the opposing lane. In other cases, a motorist fails to check their blind spots or around their vehicle for possible motorcyclists, bicyclists, or pedestrians attempting to cross the road.
Some of the causes of left-turn accidents include the following:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving (including texting while driving)
- Starting to make a left turn before it is safe to do so
- Failure to obey a traffic signal or stop sign
- Poor visibility due to weather conditions, such as fog, ice, or rain
- Failure to judge the speed of oncoming traffic
- Oncoming cars attempting to “run” a red light
- Failure to signal that the driver is attempting to make a left turn
In many cases, the driver making the left turn will bear responsibility and liability for an accident, unless an investigation determines that the other driver failed to stop at a red light or stop sign, or attempted to “run” a red light.
If someone else caused your injuries in a car accident, you could be entitled to compensation. A Los Angeles improper turns lawyer from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm might be able to help you.
Improper U-Turns
In many areas of California, U-turns remain illegal. However, there are still some intersections where a U-turn is legal, and a driver may turn their car through an intersection to travel in the opposite way on the other side of the road. If a driver attempts to make a U-turn, they must ensure that there are no vehicles to the left of them traveling in the same direction. Otherwise, they will crash into them. If the driver is in the farthest left lane of traffic, they may pull into the intersection to attempt to make a U-turn.
Making a U-turn involves much of the same protocol and safety awareness that a left turn requires. A driver must ensure that cars are not traveling in the opposite direction and that their way is clear to make a U-turn.
Additionally, they must take time to ensure that there are no pedestrians, motorcyclists, or bicyclists near them before making a U-turn. If a driver making the U-turn fails to observe the approaching vehicles or surrounding area, or makes an illegal U-turn, they will bear responsibility and liability for any injuries and damages suffered by victims of their negligence.
Improper Right Turns
In many intersections, it is legal to make a right turn at a red stoplight. It is important to note that in some intersections, a right turn is illegal, and a driver should look for “no right turn signs” at all intersections.
One of the major dangers regarding right turns is the fact that drivers fail to come to a complete stop at the intersection before turning right into the stream of traffic. Failure to make a complete stop does not allow the driver enough time to fully examine their surroundings to make sure that there are no pedestrians, motorcyclists, or bicyclists near the intersection.
Additionally, failure to make a full stop does not give the driver enough time to make a safe decision about when it is appropriate to pull out into the lane of traffic and make the right turn.
Other Improper Turns
Other improper turns that may ultimately lead to an accident, injury, or death could include the failure to yield to pedestrians, bicyclists, or motorists at any point during the turn, or making a turn without signaling properly.
Improper Turn Accident Injuries
Improper turns may involve two vehicles crashing head-on, sideswiping each other, or one vehicle T-boning the other. Many improper turn accidents result in severe and catastrophic injuries due to the high rates of speed and the opposing direction of both vehicles.
Some of the types of injuries that occur from improper turn accidents include:
- Whiplash
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Back and neck injuries
- Aortic dissection
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Internal organ damage
- Broken or fractured bones
- Internal bleeding
- Loss of limb(s)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
For a free legal consultation with a Improper Turns Accidents Lawyer serving Los Angeles, call (800) 794-0444
Hiring a Los Angeles Improper Turns Lawyer
If you suffered injuries due to another driver making an improper turn, you might suffer from serious injuries resulting in medical bills, pain and suffering, and the inability to return to work either temporarily or permanently. Consider calling our team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444 to learn how a Los Angeles improper turns lawyer might be able to help you pursue a claim for your injuries and losses.
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