Who Is at Fault in a Left-Turn Accident in Florida?
A left-turn accident claim often begins with a dispute about right of way. The turning driver may say the oncoming car was speeding or entered on a red light, while the oncoming driver may say the turn began without enough space. Signals, vehicle positions, video, and damage patterns can be more reliable than assumptions. Florida law places an important duty on drivers turning left, but fault is not automatically decided by the type of maneuver alone. These eight evidence steps can help clarify what happened. 1. Understand the basic left-turn rule Current Florida Statute § 316.122 says a driver intending to turn left within an intersection or into an alley, private road, or driveway must yield to approaching vehicles that are in the intersection or close enough to present an immediate hazard. The rule is central, but the facts still matter. An oncoming driver’s speed, signal, lane use, or other conduct may affect the analysis. 2. Photograph the complete intersection Take wide photographs of every approach, traffic signal, turn lane, stop line, sign, roadway grade, and sight obstruction. Capture vehicle resting positions, debris, fluid, skid or tire marks, and damage to all sides of each car. A close image of a dent cannot show whether a signal was visible or how far the vehicles traveled after impact. The full layout gives context to a left-turn accident claim. 3. Record the signal sequence Note whether the intersection had a protected green arrow, flashing yellow arrow, standard green light, stop sign, or no signal. Write down what you remember about the light at the moment the turn began and at impact. Do not claim certainty if you did not see a signal change. Signal timing records or [...]
