Is It True That Turning Left at a Green Light Will Always Result in the Party Turning to Be at Fault If an Accident Occurs

At some point, every driver hears the heuristic that the person making a left turn is always at fault if an accident occurs. Generally speaking, this principle is true because the vehicle turning left always has a responsibility to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic. Vehicles turning left may only enter the intersection when it is clear and safe to do so. However, not every left-turn-related collision is the fault of the driver turning left. Read on to learn in what situations the vehicle turning left might not be at fault for the ensuing car accident.

Exceptions

The vehicle making a left turn is almost always liable for an accident except in a few scenarios. These exceptions to the left-turn rule of fault are very rare, however, and also difficult to prove. Another party might be found responsible for a car accident when a vehicle was turning left if:

• The oncoming car was speeding. If oncoming traffic was approaching the intersection with excessive speed, the vehicle might share at least some of the fault for the resulting accident.
• The oncoming vehicle ran a red light. The driver turning left would still be at fault if the oncoming vehicle ignored a yellow light, but if the oncoming car ran a red light, the driver might be partially liable for the collision.
• An unexpected situation caused the vehicle turning left to slow down or stop. If the vehicle turning left entered the intersection when it was clear and safe but experienced some problem that caused it to slow down or stop, fault for the resulting accident might not be entirely assigned to the driver making the turn. For example, the driver may have slowed down to avoid hitting a bicyclist or perhaps had to stop in the intersection because of mechanical problems.