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Yeah man that always sucks, especially when people are nice to let you out and then something stupid like that happens, but there is always that one idiot that's in a hurry and abuses the middle or turn lane (guilty here i have done it before..) and going too fast for the traffic or situation around the area. Just something that totally shouldn't have happened but its too late it did so don't kill yourself in regret man. Just be glad no one was hurt in the ordeal. :chevy:

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That sucks . As to the fault , I think you are both at fault since a turning lane is only supposed to be used as such . If you pull out like you did , you are suppose to get in the center lane and stop . Only entering your intended lane when clear . You are not suppose to speed up and merge so he should not have been traveling in that lane .I dont think one is more responsible than the other here .
Another thing is that I never proceed on another drivers judgement because I have seen that very thing happen in person .
One thing I will say is that my mom was involved in a no ticket accident years ago . The officer stated they were both at fault and responsible for their own vehicle . Cool right . Not really . They contacted our insurance and our Ins paid for their car . My mom told our agent the situation and they stated it was cheaper to pay it than fight it so I guess the first one to call the other ins. company in that situation wins .
Hope you get it fixed and it is better than before .
Frank

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I have had a wreck like yours but i got t boned in the driver door.After that i haven't trusted anyone letting me out if i can't see both lanes ill wait.You really need full coverage i know its more money but your truck would get fixed and have a rental car to drive tell then.

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My question is, The guy in the Santa Fe was in the turn lane, but had no intention on turning into the road that you were entering from? If that is the case you may be free of some responsibility. A turn lane indicates the user is going to turn, not progress through an intersection. So what if he didn't have a blinker on (I assume), how many idiots don't know what that little "stick" poking out of the steering column on the left side is for?

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i'd defiantly talk to your ins. co. on this and show them the diagram. what he was doing is illegal over here in cali. you dont just get in the suicide lane and barrel down it because it turns into a turn lane. what a moron... i am pissed for you!

hope i understand the diagram;)

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oh yea, another reason it would be better if it was his fault is that 9 times out of 10 he's got full coverage and BOTH vehicles will get fixed not just 1. just my .02...

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Man that sucks and it's both of your fault, but I would have to say he is in more fault they you. You should not run down a tunring lane more then 100' and that looks a little longer then 100'. Hope it works out man..

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I was looking over the information I was given at the accident. It turns out, that the vehicle he was driving was a Veracruz, not a Sante Fe. I wasn't familiar with the model, because it's a hyundai-so who cares, but it is their bigger suv. It weighs 4400 lbs. Eh, thats a little better than the Sante Fe I guess.

Thanks again guys for the support.

I think you understang the diagram fine. Not sure if nlped does-confused. You don't have to be pissed though. Trust me, I am pissed enough for both of us.

Yeah, that's kinda the point, but I don't think his insurance is gonna see it as his fault.

Hey-I agree. According to the scale key on both google maps and bing(which if you haven't checked out their map system and aerial views--it's amazing) where we connected is 187 feet from the intersection. I don't know where he entered the suicide lane, so who knows how far he was travelling in it before we hit?

As far as fault goes. The cop at the scene did try to convince me that it was more my fault. He also said that there is nothing that says how far you can travel in the suicide lane like that. Which is weird since I have had two people tell me that they have recieved a ticket just for that, when telling them about the accident. He did issue me a warning. I don't know if he gave the other guy a warning or not. But no tickets were issued.

I have been waiting for a call from either insurance company to get my side of the story. I called my insurance this morning. He hasn't made a claim yet. They have no info. Maybe he feels like he doesn't have enough damage to make a claim, I don't know.
I was planning on arguing with them when they called me and trying to convince them that it was at least partly his fault--to try and get his insurance to cover my damage. Granted-I'm not optimistic and don't think it will do me any good.
But now, should I call his insurance and try to make a claim, knowing that that in turn will cause him to make a claim that my insurance will definately cover? And will probably result in my insurance covering his damage, and my rates going up but no compensation for my damages.

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its good no tickets were given. i'd call his ins. co and tell them what happened w/ the exact #'s. if there was no ticket to you then you by law werent doing anything illegal.

quick story... i once totalled a cobra mustang (quite a few years back) on a test drive. totally lost it... chp came and didnt ticket me and the insurance said since they didnt ticket me i was not at fault and my ins. didnt have to cover anything. on my record it said accident not at fault.

i still dont see how the cop was looking at it being more your fault. i'd call his ins. and play hard on the fact that it was bumper to bumper and he was in that suicide lane trying to make the light 200ft before.

good luck man! all will turn out in the wash. hopefully with your truck fixed at no charge.

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Well, I spoke to both insurance companies today. Not looking so good. It seems like both feel that I am responsible. But then again the lady from my insurance just couldn't seem to wrap her head around the function of a turn lane. She asked me questions like,"What direction does traffic travel in this turn lane". It was like talking to a wall. And that was with the help of the diagram that I posted. I actually got a little further with his insurance co. than mine.
Whatever. We'll see.

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Looked at the diagram, you would be totally at fault if he didn't pull into the turn lane so early, there is a mandate in most states that 75 feet or per markings is allowable, but he was obviously driving in the turn lane, because he didn't want to wait in traffic. So, in court, he could possibly be found at fault. BUT, you also technically failed to yield to on-comming traffic, which is also an infraction. I am surprised that both of you weren't cited for both the tield infraction and the driving in the turn lane infraction, which is great on your part, not so good that he wasn't cited. He technically was wronger than you if that makes sence. This is a common accedent everywhere when people stop to let someone out in traffic to allow them to cross in a busy traffic time. In fact, it is so common, I have personally seen it happen at least 6 times in the last ten years or so in person!

If I was going to stop and let someone cross I would look behind me and let them know thru hand signals, when it was safe to cross and have done just that when in the position to do so.


I hate to say but both of you are at fault and are both lucky that you werent cited for the infractions....good luck with your insurance company, they will pay for your car, and probably try to up your rates next cycle.

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gonna be your fault.. had this happen to me yrs ago, an i will not cross traffic lanes until i can see everything...my problem was i was in my brothers truck an the old lady was flying down the turn lane, she pretty much creased the side of her car from front to back.. all becasue i believed the guy when he waved me out, but never again will i trust somebody who has nothing to lose if i get hit or hit somebody else.. my brothers insurance covered all her damage, i paid his raised premiums for along time after that... sucks about your truck though

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in skimmming this did you get the name of the driver as a witness who waved you into that lane? he is liable too..

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Yes there is actually. The turn lane is not a tur traffic lane, and there is a mandate on how early one can use it which I THINK (it was a long time ago I lived in Tehas) but I think it is 50 feet from your turn.

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No vehicle may travel further than three hundred feet within the lane.
there you go.thats the law

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WOW! that has changed a lot since the 80s! That is downright dangerous! Which is evident here...evident as it gets. BTW, no need to get all defensive!:mm:

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lol sorry if i came off that way.:sumo:
just letting you guys know.
i asked the drivers ed teacher at school lol

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No biggie! Just think it sounds dangerous.

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Yea, I thought there was a set distance but I also figured it was long. We have people including the police that will drive down the turn lanes when the traffic is backed up at a light. Either way, the issue is that the accident would not have happend if he would have yielded to on comming traffic. My dad was in a turn lane at a light and shot a gap in traffic to get a cross. A lady T'ed him. The officer sayed she was going about 60 in 45. While she was speeding the accident happend because my dad didn't yeiled. Same thing here. Because you are crossing traffic it is your responcibility to wait until it is clear to cross. If you can't see because there are cars in the way you have to wait until you can see.

Your honor I rest my case lol.

I'm not trying to look like I know it all, it's just that I was an OTR diver for a while and I've been in court many of times because people pulled out in front of me. It's hard for a big rig to stop when you have 20+ tons on the back!

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man that sux!!! imo, the yellow line indicating the "start" of the turning lane is purposly placed AFTER the intersection you pulled out from... to prevent this exact incident, and ensure a free lane for a vehicle like you, in a case like this, to safely pull onto the road into the direction you wanted to go.

Im sure lots of us deal with crap like that. even though i never said anything about it, my truck was rear-ended two summers ago. regular insurance valued my truck at 11k (even though it was appraised at 21k), valued damages at 1k, and was told by my insurance company i'd be better off fixing it myself cause they'd try writing it off. the guy who rear ended me got the worst of it, thankfully in my case, but his having no insurance dont help fix my truck. i dont want to tell you the sorry state its currently in! its fixed, just waiting for the paint shop for 2 years now!

good luck with gettin yours back on the road, when you do, it'll be worth it!

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Sorry to hear about your Blazer. :( That is a sweet looking Blazer too. Best thing to do in my opinion is to get that front end fixed and get your pride and joy back on the road.

Just goes to show that you never know whats going to happen when you are out and about driving.

Just don't sell the Blazer. Fix it and enjoy it again. :D

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That's crappy man. Either way that other guy is an idiot for hauling ass down the turning lane. Especially past an intersection. Good luck.

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Have you fixed it or what happened with it?

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its not fixed yet.... he's planning something a bit classier i believe. if ya catch my drift:lol:

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Gotcha ;)

He should share some pics ;) :lol: