A truck hit me turning left on a red light as I was passing thru the intersection on green and I am at fault?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

A truck hit me turning left on a red light as I was passing thru the intersection on green and I am at fault?

I was stopped at a red light at an intersection. The light turned green and I proceeded to move forward. I was struck by a large truck that was making a left hand turn on a red light. He hit me on the driver door/ front quarter panel area. Cops and witnesses said my light was green but I was found at fault. This can’t be right.

Asked on July 24, 2017 under Accident Law, Colorado

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 6 years ago | Contributor

1) If you get a ticket or summons for this, you could choose to try to fight it in court on the trial date: you could present your side of the story, the state could present its side, a judge will decide who is at fault. As discussed in 2), below, it will be hard (not legally impossible, but hard) to win if the police testify you were at fault: the  police are generally credible and believed on this subject.
(Note: this would actually very likely take more than one appearance; typically, you enter your plea in person the first day, then they schedule an actual trial for a few weeks later.)
2) If you have collision insurance for your own car damage, submit a claim--that's easiest way to be paid for your damage. If you don't, in order to get compensation, you'd have to sue the truck driver and (if it is a different person, including being an LLC or corporation) his employer and/or the truck's owner. You'd have to prove in court that the truck driver was at fault, not you. The police report is NOT a binding legal determination: it is just the police's opinion. So the fact that the police found you at fault does not automatically mean you will lose. That said, it is strong evidence against you; it may be very difficult to   convince a court that you were not at fault if the police say you were.
3) If you are sued for more money than your policy (e.g. liability insurance) will pay out, you could defend in court on the basis you were not at fault. You will run into the same issues as discussed in 1) and 2), above.


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.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption