3-week old vehicle (mine) was doing the speed limit on a major street when a gentleman who was parked on the far right side of the street apparently decided to pull a quick u-turn on a busy street. All I saw was a car stationary & perpendicular to my own. No traffic lights or anything like that. The front-right section of my car went into the centre of the drivers-side of his car (his rear-passenger door was particularly smashed in, only his side curtain-airbags deployed) I’ve had a license for less than 6 months and as I mentioend the car is very new, so odds are I must have done something wrong or could somehow have prevented this accident (he was 40-something), however at this point I haven’t a clue what I might have done wrong?
I’m in canada but I’m just looking for general insights on what went down, cheers.
Well, I don’t think this is the right forum, since there is probably no single factual answer to this post.
But in the meantime, I think we need more information. Did the other car turn right in front of you, leaving you no time to react? You say you saw a stationary car. Meaning that when he saw you coming he just stopped? I’m just not clear on how events transpired.
I don’t know the law in Canada and I’m not a lawyer here in the States, either, but I think in general that if he was visible and not moving and you just hit him, it’s your fault. If you didn’t see him because you were fiddling with the stereo or dialing your cell phone, it’s your fault.
OTOH, if you were moving at the legal speed limit, had the right of way, and he moved into your path, that’s probably his fault.
As a new, relatively inexperienced driver, you should be learning to constantly scan the area around you looking for potential problems and possible exit routes in case something happens. For instance, if a car pulls out in front of you on a two-way street, and there’s no oncoming traffic, quickly moving over into the oncoming lane to avoid it is a good move. But if there’s traffic heading the other way, you’re better off hitting the car on your side than crossing the yellow line and risking a head-on collision.
Two cars damaged = $150K??? What kind of cars? Even if that’s Canadian dollars, that’s at least, what, $15,000 US?
Types of Cars - Brand New Mid-Level Lexus, 2000 model mid-range Benz.
comma: I guess I’m slightly short on details because I don’t want to speculate. I wasn’t distracted with anything. I don’t know how long he had been occupying my lane but there was a fair amount of traffic so presumably he had just moved there (that and the fact that I was watching the road, I’m just not used to looking out for this sort of problem :smack: )
As far as getting legal advice, I think I’m going to wait until I hear what the insurance companies say (so far I’ve been told that his company is likely to have to pay for everything but thats only speculation of my agent) unless theres some other reason I should do consider it? I don’t think I’m hurt, so if the car is fixed, no legal representation should be necessary.
Get thee a lawyer.
With 6-digit sums getting pushed around, you want to talk to a legal professional bound to work on your behalf. Even if it’s only a 30-minute consult, talk to one and see what angles there are.
Is there liability here you aren’t aware of?
What about medical issues you might experience down the road?
Are you entitled to damages because of something you, as a layman, are unaware of?
You should act ethically, and I do not encourage chiseling, insurance scamming, or being a jerk… but you really OUGHT NOT sign nor agree to anything in this matter in the absence of legal knowledge of your circumstances.
Also, talking about this situation online… big no-no. Don’t do it, seriously. Bad idea.
Depending where in Canada the OP is, there may be no need for a lawyer. What with universal health care, no-fault public insurance (in some provinces), etc. this could be taken care of by the insurance adjusters who work for the same company and all will be well.
Since I am someone with over 18 years driving experience without any major accident (one minor fender bender, my sister and I crashed on my parents driveway of all places) here are two little tidbits. Never trust other drivers. Watch the cars ahead of the car that is ahead of you if possible. If they start making sudden movements you can slow down in anticipation of something wonky.
I recommend you take a proactive stance on this and keep in touch with your insurance company. Insurance companies usually settle these things amongst themselves and could settle against you with out any comunication with you. A lawyer might be a good idea.
If this collision is determined to be your fault it could be very expensive for you in the form of years of ghastly insurance premiums. I have known people who were involved in small collisions and were not aware of any trouble until their next insurance renewal.
I know in my region U-turns are basically always illegal. One does wonder how you did not see this car.
If they were, they more than likely determined someone at fault at the scene and issued a ticket for a traffic violation. If it was the other guy no problem; if you got a ticket you better call that lawyer.
