When a driver makes a left turn, they will be liable to a car coming straight in the other direction. Exceptions to this rule may include the following:
- The car going straight was going too fast (this is difficult to prove in most cases)
- The car going straight ran a red light
- The car turning left initially did so in a legal and safe way, but something happened which caused the driver to slow down or stop
No matter what happened, the law is strict in that it says a car making a left turn must do so in a safe manner, meaning they need to complete the turn safely before moving in front of oncoming traffic. The location of the damage also makes it hard to argue that the accident happened in another way.
Bottom line: If you run into someone who is making a left turn in front of you, the other driver is almost always liable for the accident.