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Improper turns are one of the many ways that drivers can cause an accident. While it can be tempting to make a turn in a pinch, road rules about turns exist to protect everyone.
If you were harmed by a negligent driver who made an improper turn, there is recourse for your injuries, pain, and suffering. The Bert McDowell Personal Injury Law Firm can help you understand your rights and determine what compensation you may be eligible for under the law.
Bert has won five-, six-, and seven-figure settlements for many of his clients through out-of-court settlements and jury verdicts. Known for his strong work ethic and dedication to justice, Bert gives personalized service to each client to ensure their needs are met.
In the past, he worked as an attorney for insurance companies, so he understands what elements must be proven for a successful personal injury case. If you’re ready to speak with Bert about your case, call him at (203) 633-7449 or contact us online today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
After an accident, you’ll typically be entitled to some sort of compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance company. The insurance company will go through a lengthy process that includes an investigation and other forms of due diligence.
Once that process concludes, they’ll separate damages into two categories: economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are “hard” costs that are easily quantifiable. They may include medical bills, lost wages, and other costs that you’ve incurred out-of-pocket after the accident.
Non-economic damages are harder to quantify. These damages fall under the broad category of pain and suffering, which may include loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium (a loss of companionship from the death of a spouse), and loss of enjoyment of activities.
Insurance companies will evaluate your damages up to this point and attempt to put a price on your pain and suffering. However, there is no guarantee that the amount they offer you will be fair or reasonable.
Ultimately, these for-profit companies want to protect their bottom lines — so they’re unlikely to offer you the full amount you may deserve. This is where you may benefit from hiring a personal injury attorney.
An experienced and knowledgeable personal injury attorney can help you by:
Driving comes with inherent risks. By a staggering margin, human error is the biggest risk factor that you’ll encounter while behind the wheel.
Human error refers to times when drivers act in unexpected ways, fail to honor the rules of the road or get distracted behind the wheel. Human error can lead to small and large incidents. Sadly, in some cases, the cost of human error is another person’s life.
Traffic laws are designed to keep everybody safe on the roads. Improper turns are illegal moves that drivers typically make at red lights or in intersections.
Examples include turning right on a red light when it isn’t permitted, making an illegal U-turn, turning into the wrong lane, forgetting to use a turn signal, or failing to yield to traffic when making a left turn on a green light.
Improper turns are dangerous because they can cause confusion while creating a collision situation that’s hard to avoid.
Many accidents happen when drivers fail to respect turning laws. In fact, research shows that failing to use a turn signal contributes to more than two million accidents every year.
The best way to prevent an accident from happening is to avoid creating confusion in the first place. Protect yourself by:
Despite your best efforts, you may still end up being involved in an accident with someone who’s made an improper turn. At this point, it’s often the most prudent move to reach out to an experienced attorney, preferably before you have opened a claim with the at-fault insurer.
Your attorney will help you establish fault, document damages, and pursue the maximum compensation available for your claim.
Insurance companies will evaluate several factors as they determine who is at fault in an improper turn accident.
First, they’ll consider the location of the accident as well as the traffic signs and signals in the vicinity. They’ll verify that the signals and signs were visible and working at the time of the accident if there is any question about functionality.
They’ll gather details from all of the involved parties along with documentation, including police reports. They may also evaluate witness statements during this process.
If an investigation determines that a driver’s improper turn led to the accident, that driver will bear the majority of the responsibility for what happened.
However, Connecticut is a modified comparative fault state. This system means that the insurance company will assign varying degrees of fault to the parties in the accident.
Your payout will be reduced relative to the amount of fault you’re assigned. If you were hit by someone else turning, someone else may still be liable for part of your damages if their actions contributed overall to the accident’s circumstances.
You may even be alleged to bear some fault of your own, reducing your potential payout. In these situations, you can protect your financial and legal interests by appointing an attorney to conduct their own investigation to determine cause and fault.
Every accident is different, and assigning fault is not a simple task. If you feel you were unfairly assigned fault in an accident, it’s worthwhile to speak to a personal injury attorney about the circumstances.
They can advocate for your rights and represent your interests if the insurance company is acting unreasonably.
If you were harmed by someone else’s negligence, you are not alone. Millions of people in the US every year are mentally and physically harmed due to car accidents caused by human error.
In cases like this, you owe it to yourself to seek the compensation you may be entitled to. Insurance companies have the resources to help, but they don’t always give you a fair offer at first.
They may also come to erroneous conclusions or attempt to deny coverage for specious reasons.
If you’re at an impasse with an insurance company, it’s time to Bring on Bert! Bert McDowell is an experienced personal injury attorney with a background in insurance law. He has secured major victories for his clients, including a $14 million settlement in a tractor accident and over a $1 million settlement for a head-on collision victim.
Each case is unique, and there is no guarantee of compensation. Bert always does his best to ensure that his client’s interests are fairly represented, and he will evaluate your current and future needs in order to request a reasonable payout amount for your injuries and suffering.
If you’re ready to take the next steps, call Bert today. You’ll speak to one of our representatives to schedule a free, no-obligation case review. During this review, you’ll get answers to your questions and learn about the claims process ahead.
Schedule your free case review today when you call (203) 633-7449 or contact us online.