Failure to Use Turn Signals

Massachusetts Lawyer Helping Victims of Car Accidents

We’ve all experienced the frustration and hardship that comes with a driver who fails to use turn signals when merging, making a turn, or entering a driveway. Oftentimes, the situation resolves without an accident happening. But other times a driver’s failure to use a turn signal can cause a devastating and painful collision. A Massachusetts car accident attorney at our firm has over 25 years of experience providing legal counsel to injury victims throughout the state. We will assist in all aspects of your claim including gathering evidence, locating witnesses, negotiating with insurance companies, and ensuring that your rights are protected to the fullest extent of the law.

Failing to Use a Turn Signal is Extremely Dangerous

Whether they realize it or not, drivers who fail to use a turn signal cause a major threat to other motorists on the roadway. There are a variety of scenarios during which a driver is required to use a turn signal. When a driver is preparing to pull into a parking spot, he or she should use a blinker especially if the parking lot is busy. This can prevent two cars from attempting to pull into the same spot at the same time. When pulling out of a driveway, it is also a good idea to use a blinker to alert other drivers that you are planning to enter the roadway and to indicate your intended direction of travel.

Traffic circles and roundabouts are another place where using a turn signal can prevent accidents as well as when parallel parking. If you are parallel parking on a busy street, a turn signal can help indicate to other drivers that they should stop at an appropriate distance and provide you with enough space to complete the maneuver safely. Finally, merging and passing on the road can be extremely dangerous if a driver does not use a turn signal to alert other drivers to his or her intentions especially if the maneuver is made at high speed on the highway.

Bring a Personal Injury Claim to Recover Compensation

If you were injured in an accident involving a driver who failed to use a turn signal, you may bring a personal injury claim if you meet certain criteria. The first step of this claim requires you to show that the other driver owed you a duty of care and failed to act according to that duty. In general, motorists owe other drivers a duty to use reasonable care and skill when behind the wheel. This involves abiding by traffic laws, exercising caution, and refraining from aggressive, drunk, or distracted driving. Most prudent drivers would use a turn signal in the scenarios described above.

Next, be prepared to show that the defendant’s breach of the duty of care was the direct and foreseeable cause of your injuries. If the defendant can point to some other cause of your injuries like your own contributory negligence then you may be barred from recovery. Massachusetts follows the comparative negligence doctrine which states that a plaintiff cannot recover compensation if he or she is 51% or more at fault for the crash.

The final stage of the claim involves damages. Plaintiffs in car accidents are entitled to recover compensation for things like past and future estimated medical bills associated with the crash, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, loss of the enjoyment of life, and more. A knowledgeable car accident lawyer can assist you with ensuring that you seek the full amount of compensation that you may be owed.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Car Accident Lawyer in Massachusetts

An attorney at our firm has seen firsthand just how stressful and disruptive a car accident can be for the victim and his or her family. While you mend your injuries and attempt to deal with the disruption that the accident caused in your life, let us fight for your rights and ensure that you are treated fairly. We are available to serve clients in areas around Boston, Cambridge, Waltham, Lowell, Newton, Somerville, Quincy, Dedham, Norwood, Brookline, and Peabody. Call our office today at  (800) 262-9200 or contact us online to get started.