Posts by driftingfox13

brightcrane56 said:Based on what you’ve described, the stopping distance was only about thirty feet, which means his speed played a massive role in the accident. 25 milesHowever, I have to be honest—the part where you mentioned having to pull out a good few feet past the stop sign just to get a clear line of sight isn't going to help your case. Between the poor visibility at the intersection and those three cars parked right there blocking everything, it still wasn't legal to enter the intersection. You really should have had someone step out to check if the coast was clear before pulling out.
I’d suggest taking a hard look at whether it’s actually worth the headache of hiring experts or fighting this in court. From the way you've laid it out, it sounds like the Police Department is going to find both of you at fault, leaving you to split the damages 50-50.

It's a shame I lost some $20000 so even if it ends up 50-50, it still hits me where it hurts... thanks a lot.

brightcrane56 said:What was the posted speed limit for the direction he was traveling?
Look, the way speed limits near intersections are calculated is actually pretty interesting—they basically measure how much time an average driver needs to safely merge into traffic. That timeframe is compared against the line of sight to determine a safe speed for the main road, ensuring a driver can avoid someone who just pulled out by simply easing off the gas.
To put it more simply: if he wasn't even within your field of vision at the exact moment you started merging into traffic, then his excessive speed becomes the primary cause of the accident.
Just hang in there for the expert's report; those specialists are great at "rewinding the tape" to pinpoint exactly where he was positioned when you began your maneuver. If it turns out he truly was outside your line of sight, you could potentially walk away with full coverage for your damages.

limit 25 miles/mph... the thing is, there’s zero visibility at that intersection. I had to pull out about three or four feet past the stop sign before he even entered my field of vision. Between the poor visibility of the intersection itself and the fact that a large SUV was parked right there blocking the view, it was tough.
When I finally saw him coming at a high rate of speed, I stepped on it to get into my lane, and while I managed to make it, he skidded and—bam—hit my side. He actually told the Police Department he was going 44 miles/mph (which means he was likely going even faster, since people rarely admit to speeding themselves). Now I'm just stuck... thanks.

So, I was involved in a car accident yesterday. I failed to yield the right of way to another vehicle, which brings me to my question: is there any chance the liability could be shifted onto him if he was traveling at roughly 50 miles mph through a residential area? It happened at this small, poorly lit intersection tucked between some buildings. To clarify the sequence of events, I had already merged back into my lane when the collision occurred because his car swerved while he was braking. The police measured the skid marks on the pavement; they noted that the impact hit the side of my car, but they also confirmed that I was the one who failed to yield. Naturally, his speed was significantly higher than the limit. The officers told me I’ll have to wait for the accident reconstruction expert's report to come back. I’m trying to wrap my head around what the fallout might look like so I can prepare myself, especially since the damage to my car is massive. Is it even possible for his insurance to cover my damages due to his excessive speed, or is the fact that I failed to yield the deciding factor that leaves my insurance solely responsible for his repairs? Thanks.