If a negligent driver who made an improper turn caused your injuries, you may be able to pursue compensation from them. Improper turns violate local traffic laws and can cause severe accidents. Because all drivers have a duty under the law to protect others on the road, this means that a negligent driver is liable to provide payments for the damage they cause.
Still, it falls on injured people to demonstrate this fault and how accidents impact their lives. Our improper turns accident lawyer could take the lead in gathering evidence concerning your crash and seeking out appropriate payments for your losses.
Decatur Laws That Can Help Us Prove Negligence
As a general rule, all drivers must take appropriate caution when behind the wheel. This concept even applies to turns. According to OCGA §40-6-123, no person may turn at an intersection or into a private driveway unless they have first taken proper precautions to ensure that they can make this turn with reasonable safety. In addition, the same statute requires all drivers making turns to use their turn signals.
Furthermore, OCGA §40-6-120 outlines more rules for making right- and left-hand turns. It states that turns must begin as close to the edge of a lane as possible and that when multiple lanes allow for a turn, that drivers must stay within this lane until they exit the intersection.
An attorney could help you to better understand these relevant traffic laws.
Leveraging a Violation of a Traffic Law Into a Demand for Compensation
People seeking compensation after a traffic accident always bear the burden of proving that another driver was at fault for a collision. Perhaps the simplest way to accomplish this is to show that another driver was violating a rule of the road at the time of the accident, such as those listed above.
This is because of a concept of law called negligence per se. This means that a civil court hearing a lawsuit alleging damages after an accident can assume that a driver was negligent if they received a conviction in traffic court.
As a result, a Decatur improper turns accident lawyer can work to investigate whether another driver received a ticket following a collision and can track this ticket’s path through traffic court.
Examples of Evidence We May Use to Pursue Damages
Of course, not every case can rely on a conviction in traffic court to move forward. In other situations, it is not only possible but necessary to rely on other forms of evidence. This evidence can help you to build powerful cases against other drivers that prove their carelessness led to the collision.
This evidence can include:
- A police report
- Video footage from traffic cameras
- Accident reconstruction studies
- Dashcam footage
- Witness statements
An attorney with our firm can take the lead in gathering this evidence. This is especially important when considering the state’s law concerning modified comparative negligence.
According to OCGA §51-12-33, courts will not award any compensation to people whom they believe to be more than 50 percent at fault for an accident. As a result, justifying your own choices behind the wheel is just as important as proving that another driver was to blame.
Forms of Compensation That May Apply in Your Case
All drivers who are at fault for a traffic accident are liable to cover all your losses. This constitutes the compensation that you need to be made whole again.
However, the extent of these payments will only become apparent if an injured individual can provide documentation. With that in mind, there are two main categories of compensation that you may be able to claim.
Economic Losses
Economic losses are ways in which the collision has impacted your finances. This can include any medical bills that your own insurance did not cover. It may also include lost wages due to time missed at work or property damage.
Non-Economic Losses
It is just as likely that an incident has changed your life in ways that do not directly cost money. Physical injuries can be substantial, and most include a component of pain. In addition, many people find that they experience flashbacks, nightmares, or other forms of emotional trauma after their accidents. Finally, individuals may not be able to participate in hobbies or spend time with their children.
Each of these losses is compensable. Our improper turns accident lawyer can work with you to determine how your Decatur crash has impacted your life, and demand proper payments for your losses.
A Lawyer Can Help You Seek Justice
Improper or dangerous turns are a leading cause of accidents in Decatur and around the state. Every driver, regardless of their choice of vehicle, must take proper care while on the road to avoid harming other people. If they fail in this obligation, and an injury results, they are liable to provide compensation to all affected parties.
An improper turns accident lawyer could help you pursue the compensation you deserve. This can include payments for medical bills and lost wages, as well as compensation for reductions in your quality and enjoyment of life. Our attorney can work to discover the relevant evidence in your case and use it to build valid claims against other drivers.
Call Bader Scott Injury Lawyers Today
Call us today at (404) 888-8888 for your free consultation with a member of our team.
We are ready to explain your legal rights, investigate the facts that led to your accident, help measure your losses, and demand appropriate compensation.
Call or text (404) 888-8888 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form