I was involved in a 2 lane roundabout accident recently where the driver in the right lane attempted to make a left turn, it is clearly indicated the right lane is only for right turn and going straight. I have dashcam footage of the incident that shows me enter the roundabout in the left lane at the 12 o’clock, the other driver entered at the 9, instead of exiting with me at the 3, he crosses the dotted line which caused us to collide. I am car A in this visual: https://imgur.com/a/vV3kHKq
Police responded to the accident, the officer was shown the dashcam footage and quickly determined the other driver was at fault and let me know he would be including that in the report.
The dashcam footage was provided to insurance before they decided that the other driver is not liable, I asked for a better explanation given that he was not following his indicated lane, to which I felt as if I was just being given excuses. The adjuster didn’t seem to understand what it means to make a “left turn” in a roundabout, and just kept arguing that the 2 lane roundabouts aren’t well designed. When I brought up that there is a dotted line that clearly directs both lanes to exit the roundabout and I never left my lane, he claimed that if drivers aren’t meant to cross a line then it’d be solid. Part of me feels like the adjuster doesn’t fully understand the entire scenario, he even admitted he had never seen a 2 lane roundabout.
I honestly have never had to file an insurance claim as I have a nearly perfect driving record. Is there some way to challenge their initial decision? Or should I just pursue a claim with my insurance policy?
Insurance is claiming driver is not liable for a roundabout accident, is it worth challenging?
byu/throwaway29117 inInsurance
Posted by throwaway29117
12 Comments
Post the dash cam footage.
Why don’t you post the dash cam footage here? Your diagram doesn’t really make sense. First of all, you have your car entering from two different entrances. Second, by the dotted lines, your inside lane doesn’t exit where you exited. The inside lane looks to only exit on the exit that’s in the topmost position on the diagram.
Not sure where you are, and assuming what you typed out is 100% true, in Ontario, this would be 100% car b at fault, regardless of which of the two points of entry you made.
This might be a case of an adjuster not being familiar with a round about. I would ask and follow the proper procedure to escalate a claim in your jurisdiction.
Also, in Ontario, police fault determination is different from insurance fault determination. They sometimes contradict each other.
From your image it appears you’re at fault.
Hence the dashcam video would be helpful.
The innermost lane usually can’t do what you’re saying is ok in roundabouts. Think about it – if the innermost lane can exit the roundabout, the outermost lane would have to be aware of said exiting all the time – which defeats the purpose of a roundabout – or the outermost lane would only be allowed to enter and then exit at the very next exit – which makes very little sense.
Edit – unless you’re the blue line and not the red?
In most cases you should have changed lanes to the outside lane somewhere in the roundabout not continue from the center of the roundabout.
This might be rated as 50-50 in many areas.
Post google screen shot of roundabout and redact street names.
Who the hell invented 2 lane roundabouts. Trying to to get a basic understanding of them is confusing even with colored pictures provided. I can’t imagine trying to do it in real time while driving.
Assuming everything is exactly as you diagrammed, I agree the red car would be at fault for making a left in the right turn lane. If you are trying to claim through the other person’s insurance, I would go ahead an try using your own, they will do the leg work for you.
I have nothing to say about the insurance side but I live in a state with lots of roundabouts and car B should not be looping around from the outside lane (unless they first looked to confirm they inner lane is empty).
I dont see how the other driver is 100% at fault – this is virtually no different than a driver changing lanes directly into you.
Edit: OP did you send the proof to the other drivers insurance? They are likely to side with their insured even if they were at at fault. If you have collision you should file with yours and they will pursue with the other company.
Sharing the dash cam footage will have 0 impact on your claim
Looks to me like you were in the wrong lane to be making a turn. If you wanted to exit the roundabout, you should have been in the outside lane. Not cutting people off who are traveling outside. Everybody knows that. What you did is the equivalent of trying make a right into a McDonald’s without being in the outside lane and hitting somebody who is traveling straight when you should have been yielding.
Of course that person is not required to exit the roundabout just because they’re in the outside lane. Your own diagram shows them traveling straight across the dotted line in the 6 o clock position without issue.
They’re right that 2-lane roundabouts are a bad design. I’ve had some close calls in the one near where I live. Doesn’t seem like poor road design should affect liability, though.
You should provide the dash cam footage and the State that you’re in. You could be in India for all we know