Car crashes in Charleston, SC, happen in many ways. According to the state’s Traffic Collision Fact Book, the most common maneuver before a collision is “moving essentially straight ahead.” This movement is often associated with sideswipe, head-on, and rear-end collisions. However, the third-most common maneuver associated with crashes is a left turn.
Left-turn accidents can cause serious injuries, particularly to motorcyclists. A head-on or angled impact generates enormous crash energy, mangling your car and damaging your body’s tissues.
If you get hurt in one of these wrecks, a Charleston car accident lawyer from Ty Robinson Law Firm can fight for fair injury compensation from the driver responsible for causing the collision. Call our office at (843) 278-2222 to schedule a free consultation with a Charleston personal injury attorney. You can also contact us online.
How Ty Robinson Law Firm Can Help After a Left-Turn Accident in Charleston, SC
Ty Robinson Law Firm is dedicated to providing high-quality, empathetic legal representation to car accident victims in Charleston, South Carolina. Our founding attorney has successfully recovered millions of dollars in settlements and jury awards for the firm’s clients.
Our Charleston personal injury lawyer can assist you after a traffic crash caused by another’s negligent or aggressive driving by:
- Evaluating your legal claims and explaining how we can seek injury compensation
- Building a case against the other driver using crash reports and other evidence
- Negotiating with the other driver’s insurer to resolve your claim
- Fighting your case in court if the insurance company denies liability
A left-turn car accident can produce devastating injuries and substantial financial costs. Contact Ty Robinson Law Firm to schedule a free consultation with a Charleston car accident attorney to learn about your right to seek compensation for your injury-related losses under South Carolina law.
How Left-Turn Accidents Occur
Left-turn car accidents can happen in a few situations. First, they occur at intersections when a driver turns left across the path of a vehicle proceeding straight. The fault for these crashes depends on the signs and signals controlling the intersection when the driver turned.
Another common scenario occurs away from intersections when a driver turns left across a lane of traffic to enter a parking lot or driveway. These turns are typically not controlled by traffic signs and signals. Instead, the turning driver must judge when they can turn safely.
One of the most dangerous scenarios happens when a driver turns left when exiting a private drive or parking lot. Here, the driver must turn left across a lane of cross-traffic and merge with another lane of traffic.
Injuries from Left-Turn Collisions
Left-turn collisions often involve impacts to the front or side of the vehicle. For example, a driver turning left may hit the side of an approaching vehicle. Alternatively, they may turn in front of the other vehicle, causing it to hit their side.
Left turn accidents can result in serious injuries. A car’s safety equipment is not designed to prevent you from sliding sideways in a side-impact. As a result, your body may slam into the door or console during a collision, injuring your head, shoulder, and abdomen.
Crashes that involve a side-impact can also crush a vehicle’s door and cause it to collapse inward. The door, in turn, can crush the vehicle occupants, fracturing bones and straining soft tissues.
Some common injuries from left-turn collisions include the following:
- Neck and back strain
- Head trauma and brain injuries
- Crushing injuries
- Fractured bones
According to the Traffic Collision Fact Book, left-turn accidents in South Carolina caused 101 fatalities and 7,477 non-fatal injuries in a recent year.
Liability for Left-Turn Accidents in Charleston
In South Carolina, liability for crashes is analyzed using general negligence principles. Negligence means that a driver failed to use the ordinary care expected in that situation.
For example, under South Carolina law, drivers turning left at a location not controlled by a sign or signal must yield the right-of-way to vehicles approaching from the opposite direction. The driver must wait until opposing traffic no longer poses an immediate hazard. If a driver proceeds when the vehicle is too close, the driver violates traffic laws as well as the standard of care.
Importantly, the reason for the violation generally does not matter. Whether the driver turned because they were distracted, impatient, or frustrated, their actions failed to satisfy the caution expected of a reasonably careful driver.
The only exception occurs if the driver could not control their turn. For example, a driver might not be liable for a left-turn crash if they passed out due to an unforeseen medical issue or were pushed into the other car’s path by a rear-end collision.
Contact Our Charleston Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Proving liability for a car accident may involve complicated legal and evidentiary matters. Contact Ty Robinson Law Firm for a free consultation to discuss the legal strategy we can employ to pursue a claim against the driver responsible for causing your crash.
Call our Charleston car accident lawyer to schedule a free consultation.
