Bends in the road are accident hotspots for various reasons. The common scenarios are vehicles not stopping in time and hitting the back of another car on the bend, perhaps because traffic has slowed, cars pulling out of a side road and being hit by a vehicle coming fast around a bend, or where the vehicle from the opposing direction veers over on to the wrong side of the road when trying to negotiate a bend.
So when it comes to accidents caused by being hit by another car or vehicle on a bend, who is at fault, and can you claim for personal injury compensation?
If you are hit in the back then the general rule is that the other driver is at fault. It’s a common rule of the road to slow down for bends because it isn’t always easy to see what’s around them. It’s a common mistake many drivers make when they fail to appreciate that there could be slowed or stationary traffic round a bend – it’s a particular problem on country roads operating the national speed limit.
If you are hit in the back because another driver is coming round the bend too quickly then you ought to have a solid case against them for personal injury compensation.
When it comes to side roads, it can be down to the circumstances of the accident. Any driver should take extra care when coming out of a side road where a bend or hill is concerned because you may not immediately spot traffic. I always look at least three times or so in each direction so I’m confident that the road is clear.
The general rule though is that the vehicle already established in the road has the right of way – normally when a car pulls out of a side road they will be found at fault if they are in a crash with a car already on the carriageway they were joining. But if the road was fully clear and you pulled out and were hit by a car going 100mph round a bend then there are arguments in your favour.
It can be very difficult to prove these cases though.
In the scenario of a driver veering on to your side of the road, which usually happens because they haven’t slowed down enough for the bend, you should have a solid case against them. It might be stating the obvious a little when I say that you have the right of way when it comes to a vehicle moving on to your side of the road head on, but that is the case. Whether they have caused a nasty head on collision or clipped you, you should be able to make a successful claim for personal injury compensation.
Bends on the road are accident hotspots – so if you have been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, call our claims helpline on 0800 634 7575 for free advice today.