Left-Turn Accidents

Many accidents occur at intersections when a vehicle making a left turn fails to yield to oncoming vehicles or a driver traveling straight through the intersection attempts to make it through even though the turning driver has the right of way. These collisions can result in serious injuries. The severity of these injuries can depend on the speed at which the drivers are traveling and the portion of the car that was struck in the course of the left turn. If you were injured or a loved one was killed in a left-turn accident, you should call the experienced Quincy car accident attorneys of Brabant & Huynh, LLP.

Left-turn accidents can occur at controlled or uncontrolled intersections. In some cases, they are the result of poorly maintained roads or another feature of the setting, but often they’re caused by human error. It may be the case that the driver attempting to make the turn believes there is more room to complete the turn than there really is. A driver in oncoming traffic may be distracted by something else, such as a passenger quarrel or an incoming text, and sail through a red light or stop sign, hitting someone who is trying to complete a turn. These accidents may also occur when a driver is attempting to turn left from a driveway onto a farther lane of traffic and either misjudges the distance of an oncoming car or doesn’t see a car approaching from the lane closest to him at all.

Under Massachusetts law, when two vehicles approach or enter an intersection at about the same time, the operator of the vehicle intending to turn left is supposed to yield right of way until the left turn can be made with reasonable safety. If there’s a vehicle already in a rotary intersection or roundabout, the driver entering the intersection is supposed to yield right of way. The circumstances are different if a driver is being directed by a police officer or signs that regulate traffic.

In order to recover damages after a left-turn accident that causes serious injuries, our lawyers will need to show the other driver is liable for your injuries. We’ll usually need to prove negligence. We will need to show the other driver owed a duty to use reasonable care in making the left turn, but failed to do so, thereby causing your injuries. All drivers owe a duty to use reasonable care to avoid causing injuries when making left turns, or when approaching intersections that are uncontrolled or when a traffic light is turning yellow.

In most cases, if we can establish liability for your catastrophic injuries sustained in a left- turn accident in Quincy, we may be able to recover compensatory damages on your behalf. These are damages intended to make up for your losses, but not to punish anyone. The amount of damages would depend on the type and degree of injury. For a left-turn accident that caused your paralysis and inability to work as a construction worker, for instance, compensatory damages could cover medical bills, lost wages, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment, loss of consortium, replacement services, rehabilitation, therapy, medical equipment such as a wheelchair, and out-of-pocket expenses.

If a loved one died due to another’s negligence, it may be appropriate to sue for wrongful death. In most cases, punitive damages are not available for a left-turn accident, because in most cases, these accidents are caused by a mistake, rather than misconduct or a serious failing. However, when the circumstances that contributed to the death rise to the level of gross negligence, such as drunk driving, it may be appropriate to request punitive damages

The Quincy personal injury lawyers of Brabant & Huynh may be able to fight for your interests if you were seriously injured in a left-turn accident. We also represent those injured in crashes in Dorchester, Mattapan, Milton, Dedham, Canton, Stoughton, Randolph, Holbrook, Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, Brockton, Bridgewater, Avon, Hanover, Abington, and Norwell. Call us for a free consultation at (617) 934-0913 or complete our online form.