It has been statistically proven that accidents are far more likely to occur at an intersection than anywhere else in the city. In fact, one of the most common causes for collisions are left-hand turns which are made when the light has already turned yellow.
Who Is Liable For A Yellow Light Collision?
Despite common belief, the yellow light is not actually a way of telling drivers to reduce speed, but rather to tell them to stop if possible, and proceed with extreme caution if stopping is somehow not a safe option. As a result, if you are involved in a collision after you ran a yellow light, you will be deemed negligent, and thus liable for the collision. You might need a lawyer to represent your case in court.
Who Is Liable For A Left-Turn Collision?
When a car accident occurs as the result of a left turn, the driver who will be held liable is the one who made the turn. This is because the oncoming vehicle holds the right of way. However, there are exceptions for this rule, like when the other driver was speeding or ran a red light prior to the collision. Cases like these will require video evidence, witness testimony, or some other type of evidence in order to prove such negligence. Therefore, it is important to give your injury lawyer in Lindsay all of the evidences that you have so that they can draft a strong claim.
Who Is Liable For A Yellow Left-Turn Collision?
When the two above mentioned incidents combine, you will have a yellow left-turn collision on your hands. Such collisions commonly occur when a driver has passed the line to wait in the intersection for the chance to make their intended turn. This is absolutely legal to do in Ontario, however, the belief that you hold the right of way if the light turns yellow while you are still waiting in the intersection is false.
You will only obtain the right of way once all other oncoming traffic has come to a halt so you can complete your turn safely. Additionally, you are only expected to cross the line into the intersection if you can safely complete your turn before the light switches back to yellow.According to the law, you do not need to wait behind the line for a chance to complete your turn, but it should be noted that it is much safer to do so. Yellow left-turn accidents are thus deemed the fault of the one making the turn, aside from cases similar to the ones mentioned in connection with left turn collisions.