Quote:
Originally Posted by gravitylover
I was turning onto so of course I looked that way, when it was clear I went ahead and made the turn. Unfortunately he was there and I ripped my Durango from the front wheel well all the way to the rear because he didn't stop quickly enough so his Jeep kept pushing into me. He said I turned from the left turn lane. There is only one fkn lane! The cop took his side because he lives in that town, I don't, and he has a rich daddy.
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I don't know what exactly happened, I wasn't there, I don't know the particular intersection. The interpretation would also depend somewhat on what is customary in your area (I know, it sucks for out-of-town people), and I may be biased by the fact that here people do it all the time and everyone is used to it. Traffic here is to heavy to allow wasting a good piece of pavement.
But based on how I understand your description I would assign much or all of the fault to you. Here is why:
1. You admit your were turning right while looking to the left. You were not looking where you were going. At an intersection. Theroretically there could have been a pedestrian crossing the street you were turning into.
2. Both cars were initially stationary, and then you started moving and you hit the other car while it was still stationary (or wasn't? Not sure exactly how to intepret "kept pushing"). So even if he technically wasn't supposed to be there, I believe it's your responsibility to control what you might be hitting with your vehicle. I mean, if you had green light at an intersection, but there were still cars stopped within the intersection from the previous cycle, it wouldn't not give you the right to hit them. Of if someone was parked illegally.
3. Normally right-turning vehicles are supposed to be close to the right curb when initiating the turn. Why did you leave enough space for an entire vehicle there?
4. I think you were very lucky that it was a car not a motorcycle or bicycle, because you could have killed the rider. Note that they do not require much space, so one should always check their right side in such circumstances before initiating the turn.
Now one important factor you did not mention is whether you had your right-turn signal on. If you had, then I would put
some of the blame on the other driver, but still you would need a witness to prove it, otherwise the other driver could have said that you did not signal.