What Is A Florida Motorist’s Duty Of Care When Turning Left At An Intersection?
Being granted the privilege to drive on Florida roads comes with a lot of responsibilities. For example, each Florida driver’s responsibility is to do their best to keep other road users safe. Therefore, any driver that negligently causes harm to another road user risks facing several consequences. One of the consequences such a motorist might face is being forced to compensate a severely injured party.
Among many things, Florida drivers owe each road user a duty of care when turning left at intersections.
Florida laws govern how and when a Florida motorist should make a left turn. All Florida motorists are required to abide by those rules. If you suffered a severe injury in a Florida car accident because another driver failed to turn left properly, you might be eligible for compensation. You have the right to file a lawsuit against such a driver and receive compensation for, among others, damages like medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering. However, it would be best for you to work with a qualified car accident/personal injury attorney.
Florida Drivers Owe Other Road Users a Duty of Care When Turning Left at Intersections
According to Florida statute 316.151, when a driver intends to turn left at an intersection, they should do the following:
- Approach from the farthest left-hand lane that is legally available to the traffic moving in the same direction as them and
- Make the left turn so that when they leave the intersection, they do so in a lane lawfully available to the traffic flowing in the direction of the roadway entered.
Apart from obeying the above rules, a driver making a left turn at an intersection has a duty of care to ensure that before they turn left, they confirm they can do so;
- safely.
- without causing danger to traffic.
- without impeding the flow of traffic.
Additionally, drivers turning left owe other road users a duty of care to yield the right of way.
Is the Motorist that Turns Left Always Solely Liable for an Accident?
Generally, people assume that left-hand turn collisions are always caused by the motorists that turned left. Indeed, turning left is one of the major causes of car accidents in America. However, circumstances where a driver who turned left can be declared not responsible for an accident exist. For example, suppose you failed to stop at a stop sign or red light. In such a case, if you ended up crashing into a car that had just turned left, you might be held liable for the accident. Nonetheless, you can still obtain compensation even when you are partly to blame for an accident.
Contact Us for Legal Help
If you believe that you, your loved one, or someone you know suffered severe injuries because a driver improperly turned left, speak to a qualified attorney as soon as possible. Contact our Orlando personal injury attorneys at The Pendas Law Firm to help you prove fault and obtain compensation. Even if a client is to some extent liable for their accident, we can still help them pursue compensation.
The Pendas Law Firm represents clients in the Tampa, Jacksonville, Ocala, Bradenton, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Daytona Beach, Miami, and West Palm Beach areas.
