Last evening I was involved in an accident with a man who was making a right on red.
I was on 18th St, making a left on a green light, onto 13th Ave (in Altoona). He was making a right on red from 13th Ave to 18th st.
The driver side corner of his suv hit my Honda on the driver side rear door and quarter panel.
He was cited for a red light violation.
I just got off of the phone with his insurance...they are saying it was okay for him to make that right on red, even if he hit me...
I fail to understand, how he can run a red light and his company say that it's okay for him to hit me.
PA traffic law, does anyone know about it?
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PanzerFaust
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Re: PA traffic law, does anyone know about it?
Who cares what his insuance company says the cops cited him right? So it's his fault it sounds like to me.... But then again I'm no lawyer... haha I just think of those cheezy TV ads "Look my pen won't work" haha...KMFDM ROB wrote: He was cited for a red light violation.
I just got off of the phone with his insurance...they are saying it was okay for him to make that right on red, even if he hit me....
Please take this advice:
Do not let his insurance company tell you what is going to happen. YOU TELL THEM WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. It's his claim agent's job to get the company off with the least amount of payout.
I once had a guitar destroyed when I was rear-ended in traffic. I insisted that the other person's insurance pay for the guitar. The agent said," I happen to know that musicians don't pay retail for guitars." I replied, "Insurance companies do." He cut a check for $800 later that day.
I'd be willing to bet the agent you spoke with spoke short and firm, like talking tough without actually threatening you. If at any point you don't like what's going on in a converstaion, screw up your courage and repeat after me: " Well, I admit I'm not much of a negotiator. Let me give you my attorney's number." Say that whether you have representation or not. He's bluffing you, so you bluff him.
I'm a ravening anti-corporate. The insurance industry takes your money and gambles that nothing bad will happen, while agreeing to pay if it does. It did. They pay.-------->JMS
Do not let his insurance company tell you what is going to happen. YOU TELL THEM WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. It's his claim agent's job to get the company off with the least amount of payout.
I once had a guitar destroyed when I was rear-ended in traffic. I insisted that the other person's insurance pay for the guitar. The agent said," I happen to know that musicians don't pay retail for guitars." I replied, "Insurance companies do." He cut a check for $800 later that day.
I'd be willing to bet the agent you spoke with spoke short and firm, like talking tough without actually threatening you. If at any point you don't like what's going on in a converstaion, screw up your courage and repeat after me: " Well, I admit I'm not much of a negotiator. Let me give you my attorney's number." Say that whether you have representation or not. He's bluffing you, so you bluff him.
I'm a ravening anti-corporate. The insurance industry takes your money and gambles that nothing bad will happen, while agreeing to pay if it does. It did. They pay.-------->JMS
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lonewolf
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Its a good thing they cited him...make damn sure they get a guilty plea because....
If you are in an accident and you know its not your fault, make damn sure the other party is cited and found guilty for SOMETHING. Otherwise, the insurance company can give you the runaround on your claim. A friend had this problem and it took 3 years to finally settle it.
Tell the insurance company that with this conviction, don't even bother trying to give you the runaround--you got him dead to rights.
If you are in an accident and you know its not your fault, make damn sure the other party is cited and found guilty for SOMETHING. Otherwise, the insurance company can give you the runaround on your claim. A friend had this problem and it took 3 years to finally settle it.
Tell the insurance company that with this conviction, don't even bother trying to give you the runaround--you got him dead to rights.
...Oh, the freedom of the day that yielded to no rule or time...
It's only legal for him to turn right on red if no one is coming and he can do it safely after a full stop..it has to be clear. If any vehicle is entering the intersection he is not permitted to execute a turn on red.
Keep in mind insurance companies main job is to get someone else to pay period...Thats what we pay insurance to do...hire lawyers to find fault and to get the money from someone else.
Our company has an ongoing battle now...a friend of mine was injured when a logging truck was going too fast...rounded a curve..load shifted and rolled the tractor trailer onto a company pickup...even thou many witnesses saw the truck everyday driving too fast ...his insurance company found my friend not to be a job foreman and wasn't permitted to operate the pickup...saying he should have never been there in the first place(the foreman was off that day)...basically if he wasn't there that day...the driver shouldn't have been either...this is a 3 year battle still ongoing!
Keep in mind insurance companies main job is to get someone else to pay period...Thats what we pay insurance to do...hire lawyers to find fault and to get the money from someone else.
Our company has an ongoing battle now...a friend of mine was injured when a logging truck was going too fast...rounded a curve..load shifted and rolled the tractor trailer onto a company pickup...even thou many witnesses saw the truck everyday driving too fast ...his insurance company found my friend not to be a job foreman and wasn't permitted to operate the pickup...saying he should have never been there in the first place(the foreman was off that day)...basically if he wasn't there that day...the driver shouldn't have been either...this is a 3 year battle still ongoing!
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The driver that hit you was in the wrong, and was cited.
Right turns on red are allowed after a complete stop -- and then, only if the roadway is clear -- which it obviously was not in your case!
A few times I've even been stopped at a red light and the guy behind me is honking his horn cause I didn't pull out in front of someone and go!
Just remember: Always make sure that you have the right-of-way. It will make you feel alot better when you are laying the hospital bed.
M.O.B.
Right turns on red are allowed after a complete stop -- and then, only if the roadway is clear -- which it obviously was not in your case!
A few times I've even been stopped at a red light and the guy behind me is honking his horn cause I didn't pull out in front of someone and go!
Just remember: Always make sure that you have the right-of-way. It will make you feel alot better when you are laying the hospital bed.
M.O.B.
Where will you spend eternity -- smoking or non-smoking? Heh Heh Heh . . .
The insurance lady is trying to find out if he had a "legal right of way" to make a turn on red. She said that we shouldn't have intersected if he made a turn on red, in his lane, and I made a turn on green, turning left.
I said, the cop cited him, and not me. The cop said to him "you said you slowed down, but didn't stop". The man told his insurance company "I stopped and was inching forward".
My car definitely doesn't have inching forward damage.
I said, the cop cited him, and not me. The cop said to him "you said you slowed down, but didn't stop". The man told his insurance company "I stopped and was inching forward".
My car definitely doesn't have inching forward damage.
The law requires a driver to come to full and complete STOP at a red light and then they can proceed to make a right turn cautiously only if there are no vehicles coming in any direction including a left green arrow from the opposing direction.
I see way too many drivers who do not even slow down at a red light let alone stop and then they act like it is the other driver's fault when they have a green light and/or green arrow.
The other problem is that drivers are required by law to use their turn signals. If you don't use your turn signals, other drivers have no idea where you are going and that is why many accidents occur; especially rear end accidents.
I see way too many drivers who do not even slow down at a red light let alone stop and then they act like it is the other driver's fault when they have a green light and/or green arrow.
The other problem is that drivers are required by law to use their turn signals. If you don't use your turn signals, other drivers have no idea where you are going and that is why many accidents occur; especially rear end accidents.
When you turned left, did you turn onto a single or double-laned road?
If it was double, did you turn into the left or right lane?
Many people do not follow the basic rules for driving in these situations - if you are making a left hand turn onto a multiple laned road - you must enter in the left most lane. Only after checking other lanes and signaling(yeah, like anyone uses turn signals anymore) can you change lanes.
Many people just cross all lanes and put themselves into the right lane and that is wrong.
If you did something like this and the cop cited the other guy - you were lucky.
If it was double, did you turn into the left or right lane?
Many people do not follow the basic rules for driving in these situations - if you are making a left hand turn onto a multiple laned road - you must enter in the left most lane. Only after checking other lanes and signaling(yeah, like anyone uses turn signals anymore) can you change lanes.
Many people just cross all lanes and put themselves into the right lane and that is wrong.
If you did something like this and the cop cited the other guy - you were lucky.
A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man; a debt he proposes to pay off with your money. -G Gordon Liddy
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bassist_25
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I'm sure that I annoy a lot of people because I stop right at a stop sign when I come to intersections. Even at a blind intersection I stop right at the sign and then edge forward to gain a view. It may take a few more seconds, but technically, you can be fined if you overrun the stop sign.esikydnic wrote: A few times I've even been stopped at a red light and the guy behind me is honking his horn cause I didn't pull out in front of someone and go!
Is making a complete stop right at the sign very rock n' roll? The more I analyze my life, the more I realize that I'm not all that rock n' roll.
"He's the electric horseman, you better back off!" - old sKool making a reference to the culturally relevant 1979 film.
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lonewolf
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I can't believe they are disputing that.
The situation is very simple: A car sitting at a red light must yield the right-of-way to all other vehicles. Period. It is only when there are no other cars in the right-of-way that they may proceed with a right turn.
The situation is very simple: A car sitting at a red light must yield the right-of-way to all other vehicles. Period. It is only when there are no other cars in the right-of-way that they may proceed with a right turn.
...Oh, the freedom of the day that yielded to no rule or time...
Also since he hit the rear side of your vehicle I believe that is a sign that you were clearly on your way through the intersection when he began his turn, had you hit his rear side the ruling may have gone the other way.
Don't bitch to me about the economy while you're still buying Chinese products.
Wow, it's good to see so many people that aren't morons, like the insurance company.
Imagine it like this. I'm sitting at 18th st and 13th ave, in altoona. I'm in the turning lane. There are three lanes. One for opposing traffic heading up 18th st, one for turning traffic, that is turning left, and one for straight ahead traffic, and turning right.
He is at 13th ave, which has two lanes. One for each lane of traffic.
Imagine my car is coming out from infront of you, and making a left on a green light, towards obviously your left arm. His car is coming from your left side, making a right, towards your belly.
I followed the path I'm supposed to follow, and was struck by his car. Everything I did was by the letter of the law.
As for the making a left, and going into the leftmost lane, that's one of my biggest pet peeves. There is a left hand light on 17th St, onto Valley View Blvd, and people are ALWAYS going into the right lane. I always go into the left, and then merge right, AFTER I've made sure I'm safe.
Imagine it like this. I'm sitting at 18th st and 13th ave, in altoona. I'm in the turning lane. There are three lanes. One for opposing traffic heading up 18th st, one for turning traffic, that is turning left, and one for straight ahead traffic, and turning right.
He is at 13th ave, which has two lanes. One for each lane of traffic.
Imagine my car is coming out from infront of you, and making a left on a green light, towards obviously your left arm. His car is coming from your left side, making a right, towards your belly.
I followed the path I'm supposed to follow, and was struck by his car. Everything I did was by the letter of the law.
As for the making a left, and going into the leftmost lane, that's one of my biggest pet peeves. There is a left hand light on 17th St, onto Valley View Blvd, and people are ALWAYS going into the right lane. I always go into the left, and then merge right, AFTER I've made sure I'm safe.
I don't think you're following me. He was cited. If you weren't, then fault has been assigned. The cops did their job. The insurance guy was trying to make you think maybe you had something to do with it... I learned a lesson many years ago about these guys. I was injured on the job, and was offered the princely sum of $2000 CASH to sign off the day after the accident. That was more money than I had ever held in my hand at once, and at age 20, I naively signed like madman. A few years later, I was talking about it with my OWN insurance agent, who informed me that I should have gotten nearly ten times that amount for the knee injury which still hurts 22 years later. Understand, I'm not the litigious type, and don't sue for trivial crap, but I wasn't at fault, and was railroaded into signing away a case that would have cost that insurance company much more had I not signed.
I think you walk a fine line between the insurance company trying to bone you, and a lawyer who wants his own cut. Somewhere in the middle, you get your car fixed, maybe a little scratch for the hassle of it all, and the other guy's insurance goes up a little because he put people in danger by carelessly piloting a 4000 pound steel machine.
I'd sleep okay tonight, if I were you. The law's on your side.----->JMS
I think you walk a fine line between the insurance company trying to bone you, and a lawyer who wants his own cut. Somewhere in the middle, you get your car fixed, maybe a little scratch for the hassle of it all, and the other guy's insurance goes up a little because he put people in danger by carelessly piloting a 4000 pound steel machine.
I'd sleep okay tonight, if I were you. The law's on your side.----->JMS