Roundabouts can be huge and complicate or small on simple; but on occasions either can still be very confusing to motorists. This means that accidents on roundabouts are one of the most common types of road traffic accidents we deal with here at The Injury Lawyers.
The situation we are dealing with in this blog is when a vehicle is in the wrong lane for the exit off the roundabout; which happens more than you might think.
On approaching a roundabout, The Highway Code asks that you take notice and act on all the information available to you, including traffic signs, traffic lights and lane markings which direct you into the correct lane. Therefore you should be checking the lane markings and signage to ensure you are positioned correctly for your exit.
When turning right on a roundabout you should stay in the right lane until you are approaching your exit and then signal and move into the left lane ready to exit. However, this is the manoeuvre which causes the most accidents on a roundabout as motorists tend to stay in the left hand lane and proceed all the way round the island in this lane until they reach the exit. This means that vehicles are passing exits which other vehicles could be in the right lane to exit at.
Liability unfortunately is not always clear cut as often the parties involved will argue that they were positioned correctly on the roundabout. As its very difficult to tell who is perhaps trying to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes, it can come down to CCTV footage or perhaps witness evidence to prove who really was responsible for an accident.
A common case is the case of Slater v Bancroft where a motorcyclist had to brake sharply and fell from his motorcycle as the Defendant failed to leave the roundabout at the exit which the Defendant should have according to the lane positioned in. The Defendant was held negligent as the Defendant was in the wrong lane for the intended exit and should have taken considerable care when adjusting the position to continue on the roundabout.
Although being in the wrong lane on the roundabout is not conclusive in respect of liability, it is essential that when manoeuvring from an incorrect position on a roundabout you must take the upmost care not to inconvenience other drivers who will be positioned correctly on the roundabout.
If you have been injured as a result of this type of accident you are likely to be suffering from a whiplash injury. Whiplash injuries can last from a few weeks to a few months and therefore it is important to seek legal advice, you could be entitled for compensation for the pain and suffering you have experienced. This type of injury can also affect you financially, especially if time off work is required.
Because roundabout accidents can often be complex if both drivers are blaming each other, you need a firm of specialist personal injury lawyers with years of expertise in fighting and winning complex roundabout cases. Thankfully, you’re on our site; so you’ve already found the experts!
If you have been involved in an accident on a roundabout and have been injured as a result, please call our free claims line on 0800 634 7575.
