Attorney Michael L. Saile
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- What Are Pennsylvania’s Traffic Laws Regarding Left Turns
- Is the Person Who Turns Left Always at Fault for an Accident?
- Determining Fault in a Left Turn Accident
- How Do You Prove Fault for a Left Turn Collision?
- What If You’re Partially at Fault for a Left Turn Accident?
- Available Damages for an Accident
- Statute of Limitations for Pennsylvania Car Accidents
- How Cordisco & Saile Attorneys Will Help You After a Left Turn Accident in Pennsylvania
The circumstances of your case can determine who is at fault in a left turn accident in Pennsylvania. In many cases, the driver turning left is responsible for the accident if they fail to yield to oncoming traffic. However, liability is not automatic and, under the Commonwealth’s comparative negligence rule, the driver turning left might still be eligible to recover damages.
If you have been injured in a left turn accident, you need a high-quality car accident attorney who will protect your interests and never stop fighting for you. At Cordisco & Saile LLC, our nationally recognized lawyers have over 30 years of experience, recovering millions in settlements and verdicts for our injured clients.
What Are Pennsylvania's Traffic Laws Regarding Left Turns
When turning left in Pennsylvania, you must yield to oncoming traffic unless you have the right-of-way. Always be aware of oncoming traffic before turning, and always use your turn signal before beginning your turn. If you fail to yield, you could bear at least some responsibility for the accident. However, you may still be eligible for compensation under Pennsylvania’s comparative negligence law if you do not share more fault than the other driver.
Is the Person Who Turns Left Always at Fault for an Accident?
Typically, the driver turning left will be found at fault if they have failed to yield to oncoming traffic. However, under Pennsylvania’s traffic laws, there are instances where the driver turning left might have the right of way, including:
- Running a Red Light: If the driver turning left has a green arrow signal and an oncoming vehicle runs a light, the operator who ran the red light would be responsible for the accident.
- Four-Way Stops: At a four-way stop, all vehicles must stop. The first vehicle to reach the intersection has the right of way and should proceed first, even if that vehicle is turning left. If you arrived first at a four-way intersection stop and began to turn left, but someone proceeded to drive and struck your vehicle, they would likely be at fault.
- Speeding: If you are turning left, but a driver is speeding, making you misjudge their distance, the other driver would share at least some of the fault.
- Distracted or Impaired Driving: If you are turning left, but another driver is distracted or impaired and suddenly veers into your driving path, the other driver would likely be at fault.
Determining Fault in a Left Turn Accident
Several factors might cause or contribute to a left turn accident. Most accidents result from driver negligence, such as driving while impaired or distracted, speeding, failing to obey traffic signals or signs, and failing to yield to oncoming traffic.
However, other factors might also play a role. Poor road conditions or design, inadequate signage, or malfunctioning traffic signals might also be to blame. If so, the government entity responsible for the roads might be at least partially responsible for an accident. Likewise, defective motor vehicles or auto parts could contribute to a left turn accident, making the manufacturers liable.
How Do You Prove Fault for a Left Turn Collision?
To prove fault in an accident, you must present evidence to support your claims. An experienced Pennsylvania car accident attorney can investigate and collect this evidence to prove fault in your case. At Cordisco & Saile, we handle all the legal details for you to remove as much stress from the process as possible.
Evidence that can support your claim includes the following:
- Witness Statements
- Traffic or Surveillance Video Footage
- Police Reports
- Accident Photos
- Dashboard Camera Footage
Get legal help from a team that will never stop fighting for you.
What If You’re Partially at Fault for a Left Turn Accident?
Even if you are partially to blame for a left-turn accident, you might still be entitled to recover damages. Pennsylvania’s modified comparative negligence allows you to recover compensation if you are not more than 50 percent at fault for the accident. However, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your share of the fault.
Our experienced car accident lawyers in Pennsylvania can investigate, determine who is at fault, gather evidence to support your claim, and fight back against any allegations that you share fault for the accident.
Available Damages for an Accident
In a left turn accident claim, you can pursue compensation for the economic and non-economic damages resulting from the accident. Economic damages cover your financial losses from an accident, while non-economic damages compensate for the more subjective impact on your life. You may be able to recover compensation for the following and more:
- Medical Expenses: For medical appointments, emergency visits, rehabilitation, medication, and other treatment costs
- Lost Wages: Loss of income from missed time from work or lost earning capacity
- Pain and Suffering: Covering the physical effects of the accident
- Emotional Distress: Compensates for the emotional and mental trauma stemming from the accident
- Loss of Quality of Life: Loss of enjoyment of life activities caused by the accident
Car accident settlement amounts vary greatly depending on the facts of an individual case. Factors that can impact your settlement include the nature and extent of your injury, the medical costs and impacts on your life, the strength of your case, whether you share any blame, and the applicable insurance coverage.
Accidents can potentially change your life. Thus, if you choose us to fight for you, we will not take that lightly. We will fight tirelessly for full and fair compensation for all your damages.
In one notable case, we secured a settlement of $865,000 for a driver and a passenger who suffered life-altering injuries in a left turn accident. Our clients were traveling in a sports utility vehicle that was violently struck by a minivan driven by a driver who had failed to yield while attempting a left turn. Our clients suffered severe permanent injuries. This is just one of the many impressive case results we’ve obtained for injured car accident victims.
Statute of Limitations for Pennsylvania Car Accidents
If you were involved in a car accident in Pennsylvania, you generally have two years from the crash to file a lawsuit. Missing the statute of limitations could mean losing any chance at compensation.
Acting quickly after an accident to contact a car accident lawyer can make it easier to gather and preserve evidence and meet deadlines, helping to build the strongest case possible.
How Cordisco & Saile Attorneys Will Help You After a Left Turn Accident in Pennsylvania
If you’ve been injured in a left turn accident, you deserve compassionate legal support to get the compensation you’re rightfully entitled to. At Cordisco & Saile LLC, we fight so you can get back to what you love. Our experienced car accident lawyers in Pennsylvania can determine who’s responsible for your accident and fight to make sure your story is heard.
Call (215) 642-2335 or contact us today for a free consultation.
Serving as a personal injury attorney in Pennsylvania, Michael Saile has been honored as both a Brain Injury Top 25 Lawyer by National Trial Lawyers and a 2024 Super Lawyer. He earned his J. D. at Widener University School of Law where he was a member of the Moe Levine Trial Advocacy Honor Society. Saile is also the author of two publications titled “Not Another Bad Lawyer” and “Don’t Crash Again”.
