Dangerous Left Hand Turn Albuquerque Car Accidents
Left hand turns are one of the most dangerous maneuvers that a motorist can make. This is particularly true when the left turn is over multiple lanes of travel, entering onto the roadway, turning into a parking lot, during inclement weather, or at an intersection. In fact, making a left hand turn at an intersection is probably the most dangerous maneuver that a motorist can make.
There are many left hand turn Albuquerque car accidents which cause serious injuries or even death due to the negligence of drivers. Some of the most serious left hand turn collisions involve New Mexico truck accidents turning left too slow or at the last second. These can cause catastrophic injuries or even death.
If you or a loved one were injured in a car accident caused by another driver making a left hand turn at an intersection, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Call the experienced Albuquerque car accident attorneys at Caruso Law Offices for a FREE consultation by dialing (505) 883-5000 or using the convenient contact us box on our website. We fight to protect your rights so you can focus on your recovery.
Left Hand Turn Albuquerque Car Accidents Caused by Negligence
Car accidents are a type of negligence case. Negligence cases require a showing there was a duty, a breach of such duty, causation, and damages.
Under the common law, or judge made law, all motorists owe others on or near the roadway a duty to drive safely and use reasonable care in the use and operation of their motor vehicle. When a motorist causes a car accident by making an improper left hand turn, he or she may be found to have breached that duty and may be liable for the damages he or she caused as a result of the car accident.
Further, New Mexico law understands the dangers of intersections and left hand turns at intersections and imposes protections for motorists to follow. NM Statute section 66-7-328 regulates vehicles approaching intersections, and requires those approaching the intersection to yield to the right-of-way of vehicles already in the intersection. Section 66-7-329 specifically governs vehicles turning left at intersections, and requires these vehicles to yield to the right-of-way of all oncoming vehicles which constitute an “immediate hazard” to allow safe passage. This effectively requires vehicles turning left to turn last.
In addition to being negligence as noted above, a motorist who violates one of these sections of New Mexico law may be found to be negligence per se. Under the legal doctrine of negligence per se, the violator of a statute may be found negligent as a matter of law (simply because the act occurred) for a violation causing injuries if the statute intended to 1) protect the person injured, and 2) prevent the action causing the injury.
Violations of both statutes above are generally negligence per se and may entitle victims to compensation for their injuries.
Albuquerque Car Accident Attorneys Protecting Your Rights
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a left hand turn Albuquerque car accident, call the experienced Albuquerque car accident attorneys at Caruso Law Offices today by dialing (505) 883-5000 You can also contact us on our website through the easy to use and convenient Contact box located by clicking here.