Though most of us think of U-turns as quick fixes when we go the wrong way, this simple maneuver is notorious for causing car accidents. If you’re involved in a U-turn accident in Texas, you’re probably wondering who’s at fault. The answer will depend on a number of circumstances, including:

 

  • Was the U-turn legal?
  • Was the U-turn made safely?
  • Were there any other contributing factors?

After a U-turn accident, the fault is usually placed on the driver making the turn, but not always.

Was the U-Turn Legal?

In Texas, U-turns are generally legal as long as there aren’t any signs in the intersection that prohibit them. However, there are certain rules that apply to U-turns in all intersections, regardless of whether a sign is present.

For instance, U-turns must be made from the left lane; it’s always illegal for a car to cut across two or three lanes to perform a U-turn.
Additionally, drivers making U-Turns must follow these Texas laws:

  • When making a U-turn on a green arrow: Drivers must wait for any traffic on the left-hand side to clear, including vehicles that are making a right-hand turn.
  • When making a U-turn on a solid green light: The turning driver must yield to approaching traffic, including cars making a right hand turn from a side lane into the lane the turner wishes to enter.
  • When making a U-turn in a lane without a traffic signal: Texas law requires the U-turner to yield to all other traffic.
  • In an intersection that prohibits U-turns: Texas has plenty of these; intersections with a sign that prohibits U-turns. It’s the driver’s job to check for these signs before turning – if you see one after you’ve entered the left lane, simply make a left hand turn.
  • When making a U-turn at a median: This, as opposed to making a U-turn in an intersection. These points are usually designated for U-turns, but the turner still needs to yield to oncoming traffic.

As you can see, the responsibility during a U-turn lies with the turner. For this reason, most U-turn accident are also the fault of the turner.

Was the U-Turn Made Safely?

Clearly, the turning driver must stop and look to make sure the path is clear before making a U-turn. If a driver speeds through the turn, that’s considered “unsafe.” If they try to make a U-turn in a space that’s too tight, or jump out in a gap of cars that’s not wide enough, it’s also deemed an unsafe U-turn.

When Is the “Turning” Driver Not At-Fault for a U-Turn Wreck?

It depends on the circumstances of the wreck. Was the other driver texting and therefore not paying attention? Did they run a red light? Did they change lanes into the U-turner? These sorts of questions need to be answered before the blame is put on the turning driver.

Claiming Compensation After a U-Turn Accident

If you’ve been hurt in a U-turn accident in Fort Worth, you have rights. I’d encourage you to speak with your Fort Worth personal injury lawyer, who can help establish fault and ensure you’re compensated fairly for your damages.

Who Needs to Hire a Lawyer?

If you’ve never hired a lawyer before, you might be wondering, “What will an attorney do for me? Do I even need one?” You will benefit from hiring a Fort WorthCar Accident attorney if you:

  • Were hurt in an accident caused by another driver
  • Don’t have health insurance after a wreck and can’t afford to get treatment
  • Have never handled a claim before and feel confused about what to do next
  • Tried handling the claim on your own but encountered trouble with the insurance adjuster
  • Received an unfair settlement offer from the insurance company
  • Want a professional to ensure you win everything you deserve to cover the cost of your accident

If you were in an accident that wasn’t your fault and suffered injuries as a result, you will benefit from having a personal injury attorney handling your case.

The reason is simple. After a wreck, you’re going to have to convince the other driver’s insurance company to pay you the money you deserve for your medical bills, damaged car, and pain and suffering.

However, insurance adjusters are trained to pay you as little money as possible. It’s how insurance companies make money.
Having a lawyer on your side evens the playing field.

Here at the Anderson Injury Lawyers, we have over 25 years of experience winning money for hurt accident victims in the Fort Worth metroplex. We know exactly how to set up your case, and we handle everything for you.

Our Personal Injury Firm Takes the Stress Off Your Shoulders

When accident victims come to us, it’s often out of frustration with the insurance company. No one ever tells you how hard making a claim can be, especially when insurance adjusters refuse to call you back or create unfair excuses to deny your claim.

We Fight the Insurance Company So You Don’t Have To

Insurance adjusters might find it easy to brush you off, but they won’t be able to ignore us. Sometimes simply having a lawyer on your side forces the insurance company to stop messing around – they know we won’t let them get away with undervaluing your claim or playing around with your case.

We Prove the Other Driver Was At Fault

This is a sticking point for many car accident victims. You might know that the other driver caused your accident, but how can you prove it? We have over 40 years of combined experience building cases and proving negligence. We know exactly what to look for, who to call and how to handle your case in the right way.

We Immediately Investigate Your Accident

If we’re going to convince the insurance company to pay you full compensation, words alone are not enough – we’ll need to prove that someone else caused your car accident and that your car accident caused your injuries. For this reason, quick and thorough car accident investigations are crucial, which is why we make yours a priority. Since evidence like skid marks, debris, vehicle damage, video camera recordings and injuries tend to diminish and disappear fairly quickly, we understand the importance of fast action.

We Fight to Win You the Compensation You Deserve

If you’ve been in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you shouldn’t have to pay the price. Under Texas law, you’re entitled to compensation for your medical bills, missed work days, pain, and suffering. The Anderson Injury Lawyers can help you get it.

How Does It Work?

Schedule Your Free Consultation

First, you’ll schedule your free consultation with our firm. When you come to our office, we’ll listen to your story and get all the facts of the case, then form a plan to get you the medical care you need. From there, we’ll gather evidence to build your case against the other driver and start our battle to win you everything you deserve to cover the cost of the accident.

You Pay Zero Upfront Costs

If you choose to hire our firm, there are no costs upfront. Instead, we work on a contingency basis, meaning we take a percentage of the money we win for you once you’re satisfied with the results and your case is complete.

We Set You Up with Doctors

Even if you don’t have health insurance, you shouldn’t be left to suffer. We work with a network of doctors we trust who can get you the care you need now, and defer payment until later (after we’ve won your case and the money needed to pay these bills).

We Handle Everything, Giving You Updates Along the Way

You’ll be assigned a case manager who is there to answer questions every step of the way. As your case progresses, we’ll keep you updated on its status and check in with you to see how you’re healing, but we handle all the paperwork, evidence-gathering and negotiations. Your only job is to get better.

Once You’re Healed, We Fight the Insurance Company

After you’re fully recovered from the accident, we’ll gather all your medical bills, photo documentation, police reports and other evidence and bring it to the insurance company to demand a fair settlement. Attorney Mark Anderson has over 25 years of experience negotiating with insurance adjusters, and he won’t let an adjuster lowball us. If at the end of negotiations we still don’t believe the insurance company is offering you fair compensation, we’ll file a lawsuit.

Filing a Lawsuit

In addition to our attorneys, we have a full litigation team trained to bring your case to court. We’ve won millions of dollars for our clients over the years, and we are confident in our ability to bring justice to hurt accident victims.

Why Trust the Anderson Injury Lawyers?

The Anderson Injury Lawyers’ founder Mark Anderson is one of the most recognized attorneys in our area. Most notably, Mark was named a Top Attorney by Fort Worth Magazine and is consistently recognized as a Super Lawyer by Thompson Reuters. He is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau and is ranked in the top one percent of practicing attorneys in the United States, according to the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.

Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm in Texas

If you’ve been injured in an accident in Fort Worth or Dallas and need legal help, contact our personal injury lawyers at Anderson Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation. We proudly serve Tarrant County, Dallas County, and throughout Texas.

Anderson Injury Lawyers – Fort Worth Office
1310 W El Paso St, Fort Worth, TX 76102
(817) 294-1900

Anderson Injury Lawyers – Fort Worth Office (Secondary)
6618 Fossil Bluff Dr # 108, Fort Worth, TX 76137
(817) 631-4113

Anderson Injury Lawyers – Dallas Office
408 W Eighth St Suite 202, Dallas, TX 75208
(214) 327-8000

Anderson Injury Lawyers – Dallas Office (Secondary)
6301 Gaston Ave suite 610, Dallas, TX 75214
(469) 457-4711