What Are Left Turn Accidents?
“Left turn accidents” are car or motor vehicle crashes that occur when a driver making a left turn collides with a vehicle, pedestrian, motorcyclist, or obstacle in the line of oncoming traffic. These crashes often result in side-impact or T-bone collisions that are often considered to be especially dangerous since oncoming vehicles tend to be driving at a high speed.
Why Choose Simmons and Fletcher for Your Left Turn Collision Case?
Car accidents can cause immediate trauma, injuries, and fatalities—but in the long run, they may also result in long-lasting physical, mental, and financial hardships. If you ask our team at Simmons and Fletcher, we’ll tell you that we dedicate our work to easing the load of injured parties. We want to help you recover from your accident and begin your road toward financial compensation, which will include us taking the following steps on your behalf:
- Investigating your accident and reviewing all relevant evidence;
- Discussing your injuries with medical professionals and expert witnesses;
- Interviewing witnesses to the crash;
- Negotiating with insurance companies;
- Determining the dollar value of your financial, emotional, and physical damages;
- Working toward a settlement with the defendant’s legal team;
- Representing you in court if a just settlement can’t be reached.
Plus, we’ll do all this (and more) without charging you any upfront costs. You don’t have to pay us a cent (attorney fee or court costs) unless we win your case. Call our firm today for your first free legal consultation with an experienced Houston motor vehicle accident attorney.
What Are the Common Causes of Left Turn Car Accidents in Houston?
Failure to Yield Right of Way
Because left-turning cars often have to yield to oncoming traffic, accidents are likely if they fail to properly yield the right of way. These drivers may be distracted while turning, or they may misjudge the speed or distance of oncoming traffic, both of which can lead to a catastrophic car accident.
Distracted Driving and Speeding
Both distracted driving and speeding can impair a left-turning driver’s ability to properly assess whether or not they have time to turn before oncoming traffic approaches. For instance, if a driver is texting on their phone or talking to someone in the backseat, they may turn left and collide with a driver in the opposing lane. Alternatively, if the left-turning driver is speeding, they may run a yellow or red light due to not being able to slow down in time, or their speed may prevent them from taking the proper amount of time to judge whether they can safely complete a left turn.
On the other hand, if the oncoming driver is recklessly speeding, they may be found to be at least partially at fault for a crash. For instance, let’s say that a left-turning driver is waiting to turn on a road with a 20 MPH speed limit. While it’s still important for this driver to assess the real-life speed of oncoming traffic, they may be surprised by a car unlawfully driving at 60 MPH per hour, leading to a collision.
Traffic Signal Violations
Any driver violating a posted traffic light or signal can result in a left turn accident. For example, a driver may run a red light or fail to yield on a yellow light, resulting in an intersection accident. A driver may also think that they have enough time to turn at the end of a yellow light when they realistically don’t.
How Do Texas Modified Comparative Fault Laws Affect Your Claim?
Sometimes, multiple drivers share responsibility for an accident. For instance, maybe the left-turning driver was distracted by the GPS while turning, but the oncoming driver was also speeding at the time of the collision.
Thanks to Texas’ modified comparative fault laws, you can still recover compensation if you were partially at-fault for your accident. However, you cannot be found to be at fault for 50% or more of your accident—if you are, you will not be able to recuperate financial damages. If you are found liable for a smaller percentage of the accident, your final award will most likely be proportionately reduced by that amount.
For example, let’s say that you were owed $100,000 in damages but were found to be 10% at fault for the accident. Your financial compensation would be reduced by 10% for a total awarded amount of $90,000.
What Types of Injuries Occur in Left Turn Accidents?
Common Injuries (Head, Neck, Spinal, etc.)
Some of the most common injuries in Houston left turn accidents include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and head and neck injuries like whiplash. Other frequent injuries sustained by individuals involved in left-turn accidents include:
- Paralysis
- Amputations
- Seat belt injuries
- Airbag injuries
- Burns and scarring
- Broken bones
- Puncture wounds
- Internal organ damage
- Crush injuries
- Wrongful death, in the case of a fatal accident.
Long-Term Consequences and Rehabilitation
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may have to endure an extended recovery period or permanent changes to your body and lifestyle. You may not be able to perform the same job or household duties as you were previously, or you may have to complete an extended period of rehabilitation. Perhaps you’ve acquired a disability status that requires expensive changes to be made to your home and vehicle. Whatever the situation, you can file for damages to compensate for these changes, including loss of potential income, future medical costs, and more.
Documenting Injuries for Insurance Purposes
In the immediate aftermath of a car accident, it’s essential to seek medical care, even if you believe your injuries to be minor. First of all, some injuries can look and feel invisible, meaning that you may not even realize that you’re injured if you don’t visit a doctor. Secondly, it’s important that a medical report be filed on your behalf. Later on, this medical report and any other documentation will be necessary for you to file an insurance claim, and it will also support any legal claims and damages you seek against liable parties.
Is There a Time Limit to File a Left Turn Accident Claim in Texas?
Yes, Texas’ statute of limitations gives you two years from the date of your accident to file a claim or lawsuit. If you fail to meet this deadline, you may forfeit all rights to current and future compensation. Fortunately, a qualified and resourceful Houston left turn car accident attorney can take on your case and do everything in their power to file and settle your claim in a timely manner so that you can recover the compensation you deserve.
What Evidence Do You Need to Prove Fault in a Left Turn Accident Case?
Police Reports and Witness Statements
Police reports, accident reports, and witness statements are some of the first pieces of evidence that your Houston left turn car accident lawyer will look at when assessing your case. These reports serve as the official documentation of what happened at the scene of the accident and, along with statements from any witnesses to the crash, will support your claim and your version of what caused the collision. For this reason, it’s essential that you file a report and collect the contact information of witnesses in the immediate aftermath of your motor vehicle crash.
Surveillance Footage and Photographs
Your legal team will also use any video footage of the accident, traffic camera recordings, and photographs taken by you, the defendant, witnesses, or any reporting police officers at the scene. Your attorneys will use this video and photographic evidence to reconstruct what happened leading up to and in the moment of your collision.
Expert Testimonies (Accident Reconstruction, Medical Experts, etc.)
If relevant, a resourceful attorney will also find and interview experts for their testimony. These experts may be asked to reconstruct the accident scene, testify to your medical reports, or otherwise speak on your behalf using their expert knowledge.
How Do You Get Compensation After a Houston Left Turn Accident?
After a left turn accident in Houston, it’s important to reach out to a Texas personal injury attorney who can help you seek compensation in your case. Your attorney can help you to assess and recover any damage that you may be entitled to ask for, including (but not limited to):
- Medical bills, past and future;
- Property damages;
- Lost wages;
- Lost earning capacity;
- Mental anguish;
- Pain and suffering;
- Loss of consortium.