Do I have a case if I sue the other party?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Do I have a case if I sue the other party?
I was in an accident on August 8, 2019. Another party and I were at an intersection. I stopped at the light. All lights were red. The green protected arrow came on for me to go. I proceeded to turn left. While turning left on the other side of the road was another vehicle. She proceeds to make a right turn on red while exiting a parking lot. She is doing this right turn on red while I’m turning left. It was almost as if when I was making my left turn the other vehicle was turning as well. This was a 3 lane road. She took the lane closest to the curb while I attempted to take the middle lane. While I’m still turning she does a lane change and I end up hitting her on the driver back side of her vehicle. I hadn’t completely finished my turn before she does a lane change. I filed a claim to get my vehicle fixed. I gave my statement. I received an email on today from the claims adjuster that says they won’t be accepting liability for my claim. The officer says the other party contributed to the accident when she did a right turn on red. Do I have a case if I sue the other driver for the damage on my vehicle?
Asked on August 31, 2019 under Accident Law, South Carolina
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 4 years ago | Contributor
Yes, if the other driver's insurer does not voluntarily pay you compensation, you could sue their driver: if you can prove in court that she was more than 50% at fault for the accident, you can get a judgment requiring her to pay compensation, at which time her insurer should pay for her. Note that since you hit her on the back driver's side of the vehicle, you may have difficulty proving her fault: as a general matter the car that hits another car is held to be at fault.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.