Accident at a stop sign

by Guest » Sat Apr 11, 2009 02:37 pm
Guest

Hi,

I was on the campus parking lot around 9pm at night today, there were only a few parked cars in the entire lot, I drove out of my parking spot towards the stop sign at the exit of the parking lot, I fully stopped at the stop sign and looked at both sides, there were no cars, then I proceed to turn right, then all of a sudden another car came up from the left going forward (no stop sign on the other car's side), then I bumped onto the other car, campus police came and took a police report and said that they think I am at fault due to I did not yield right of way, the police did not issue me a ticket, because the police believed that I did fully stop at the stop sign before I proceed, I did not see that car coming from the left, I am not sure if they did not turn on their headlights, (they droved out from their parking space without turning on their headlights, then they turned the headlights on while driving towards me), that is maybe why I did not see any cars coming, please let me know if I am at fault?

I had another minor accident early last year, I was at fault for that accident, if I am at fault again this time, will my insurance carrier drop my insurance coverage and leave me without coverage?

my premium already went up after last year's accident, will my premium go up again this time if I am at fault again?

Thank you.

Total Comments: 18

Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 07:04 am Post Subject:

Hi,

You always have to be looking both ways even during the turn and can't assume that the situation has not changed.



With things like driving even a fraction of a second could be important..you'd always have to be on alert!
See...these are mere acts of carelessness that might lead us through costly settlements.
So, now you might as well try to make your adjuster empathize with you...and then check out how much premium hike they might come up with..

Steven

Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:33 am Post Subject:

Hi everyone,

I would like to know if the other party is speeding (driving over the set limit), am I still 100% at fault?

The accident happened on a campus parking lot, the speed limit is 20mph,
I was only about 5mph since I just started driving after stopping at a stop sign, but I believe the other party was driving way over the 20mph limit, am I still 100% at fault?

Thank you.

Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 01:29 pm Post Subject:

but I believe the other party was driving way over the 20mph limit, am I still 100% at fault?

'Believe" is the key word. Was the person speeding? Can you prove this? Lacking any verification it really holds little weight.

Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 02:02 pm Post Subject:

Hi,

I am not trying to find excuse for myself, I will need to be reponsible for my act, but I would like to know if the other party is speeding, will it make any difference, I will be able to get the police report soon, I think the officer has written down what he thought each of our driving speed was.

Thank you.

Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 02:41 pm Post Subject:

but I would like to know if the other party is speeding, will it make any difference

Still "if" the person was speeding is different then being able to show that the person was speeding _and_ this contributed to the accident. If the above mentioned two things cannot be shown then, no.

Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 06:57 pm Post Subject:

In most cases if a driver ask if they are at fault in an accident, then they probably are at fault. I have no reason to believe that your case is any different. You had a stop sign and you are responsible to make sure no body is coming before proceeding. Even though you had looked early and didn't see a car, doesn't mean that you are not at fault. The other driver didn't have a stop sign and wasn't required to stop. You did have a stop sign and hit a driver. Bottom line, this accident is going to be considered your fault unless you can prove otherwise. Be fortunate that the police officer didn't give you a ticket from the result of the accident, most officers will give a citation at the seen of an accident. Now to the most important part, (your insurance policy), you will see an increase in rates if you have to file this claim under your insurance policy. These rates can and will go up at least $40 or a lot more a month for the next 3 years unless you can keep the other driver from filing a claim under your insurance company. Ask the driver if he or she will get you 3 estimates and see how much damage you caused. If you can afford the estimate, settle with the driver before it gets to your insurance company. If the damage cost more than you can afford, then you must file the claim under your policy. If you settle with the driver, make sure you get something in writing as proof that the accident has been settled. I would even try to pay the repair shop if possible and pay the damage by check or money order. It wouldn't hurt to seek the advise or get counsel from an attorney. I would ask an attorney what you need to do to make the settlement official.

Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 02:09 am Post Subject:

Hello, i would like to know if me being at fault is accurate? And if i can dispute it how do i go about it? I came to a stop sign but notice at the intersection due to cars parked on the street you can't see what's coming horizontally. I move up just a little and a car comes flying pass knocking off my bumper. The police arrived and said Im at fault even though she was speeding, how? My car was not moving.

Thanx Ash

Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 02:50 am Post Subject:

Speed is not an issue unless the other person was going about 100mph, which I doubt. You have the duty to yield, you did not and the accident would have occurred regardless of the other person's speed. How do you know the other person was speeding if you did not see them prior to the impact?

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