Right Turn Accidents are More Frequent Than You May Think, Often Resulting in Physical Pain and Unexpected Medical Bills.
New Jersey drivers undergo a number of basic operations on a daily basis when driving a car. For most of us, driving feels like a process of muscle memory, or riding a bike: something that once we learn, we can do well forever. Unfortunately, when one moves through the process of driving without remaining alert, numerous accidents can happen. One accident that can cause significant injury involves a maneuver that we undertake every day: turning right. Right turn accidents are more frequent than we might think, and while they are most often caused by the right-turning driver, determining fault is not a straight-forward process, which could have implications for recovering damages for any injuries sustained. If you have been injured in an accident involving a right turn in New Jersey, reach out to our team at Cohen & Riechelson today to learn how we can help you seek compensation for expenses and other damages that the accident caused.
Top Causes of Right Turn Accidents in New Jersey
There are a couple of ways that right-turning accidents generally happen. Most often, the person turning right causes an accident by failing to yield. One example of not yielding to oncoming traffic that has the right of way, as is the case when turning right on red. Because oncoming traffic is moving rapidly, these accidents can cause significant damage and injury. Also, when turning right on red, a driver must yield to anyone who arrives at the intersection into which the person is turning. This could be a car arriving in the lane opposite to the one into which the driver intends to turn or a pedestrian.
Another way accidents occur is when drivers turn right on red when traffic signals specifically indicate that it is illegal to do so. Finally, some right-turn accidents occur when a driver does not provide sufficient indication ahead of time that they are turning right, and the car behind them rear-ends them as they approach the intersection. Or, a right-turning driver misjudges the space between and speed of the turning vehicle in front of them, accidentally rear-ending them as they attempt to turn right. While most right-turning accidents are the fault of the person making the turn, this is not always the case.
NJ Legal Regulations for Making Right Turns
According to New Jersey Revised Statutes Section 39:4-115, drivers making a right- or left-hand turn are required by law to obey all traffic signals, signs, and police officers and take “proper care to avoid accidents.” Importantly, they must yield to oncoming vehicular traffic and make a complete stop for pedestrians crossing the intersection into which the driver plans to turn, whether the crosswalk is marked or unmarked. Finally, a driver is required to remain as close as safely possible to the edge of the roadway.
Accidents When Right Turns Are Not Executed Properly
The most common accidents involving improperly-maneuvered right turns are rear-ends, T-bone accidents, and pedestrian collisions. Rear-ends can occur either before the turn, during, or directly after it, depending on whether the rear-ending car was behind the person turning or was arriving with oncoming traffic. T-bones are potentially very serious accidents that can occur when a driver making a right turn does not properly yield to oncoming traffic at a red stop light or stop sign and is struck by perpendicular oncoming traffic.
Right-turn traffic injuries can include cuts and bruises, broken and fractured bones, head and neck injuries such as whiplash, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and even death.
Preventive Measures to Avoid Accidents When Making a Right Turn
The most important way to avoid right-turn accidents is to drive defensively, even in areas where you have the right of way. Provide ample indication of a turn, at least 200 feet before a turn. In all areas in which you are required to yield or stop, come to a full stop with your turn signal on to ensure that no oncoming traffic is arriving from any direction, and expect pedestrians.
Who is Responsible for a Right Turn Collision in NJ?
In a New Jersey right-turn injury accident, a person cannot recover financial damages for economic and non-economic expenses unless they can prove liability. For this reason, it is important to have a skilled personal injury attorney on your side. Just because most right-turn accidents involve the right-turning driver in the fault to some degree, this is not the case for all of them. Also, New Jersey honors partial fault, so if you were less than fifty percent responsible for causing the accident, you could be entitled to receive some compensation for your injuries.
In order to prove fault, the experienced personal injury lawyers at Cohen & Riechelson will investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident using police reports, witness testimonies, area cameras, and even forensic analysts. By proving that the other party did not follow New Jersey law at the time of the accident and that their negligence led to your accident and injury, we can help to ensure that you receive compensation for medical expenses, out-of-pocket costs, lost wages, long-term damages, and pain and suffering.
Contact Cohen & Riechelson for Help Proving Fault and Seeking Compensation After a Right-Turn Accident in New Jersey
Our team at Cohen & Riechelson is highly experienced in ensuring that our clients in Hamilton, Hopewell, Windsor, Hightstown, Trenton, Princeton, Mercer County, Middlesex County, Burlington County, and throughout New Jersey receive the full extent of compensation they are owed due to negligent drivers in the area’s intersections and have the time and resources required to fully recover and return to a thriving life. Contact us at (609) 528-2596 today for a free consultation to discuss your claim.
