Whether you are driving a two-door coupe or a tractor-trailer, you have the same responsibility as everyone else on Arizona’s public roads to be careful and considerate in how you navigate through traffic. One of the most important things drivers must do to fulfill this duty of care is properly signal when they intend to switch traffic lanes and execute those lane changes at a reasonable speed. Unfortunately, commercial truck drivers do not always do this, and serious wrecks occur as a result.
Truck accidents caused by unsafe lane changes in Phoenix, AZ can often serve as valid grounds for civil litigation, through which someone injured in the accident may be able to recover comprehensive compensation for the losses their injuries have caused them. However, if you want to get the best possible result from a claim like this, you will almost certainly need help from one of the capable truck accident lawyers at Phillips Law Group.
What Qualifies as an Unsafe Lane Change?
Under Arizona state law, drivers on public roads are expected to keep their vehicles entirely within a single lane of traffic under normal circumstances, and they should only move their vehicle completely into another traffic lane if they have first determined that they can do so safely without causing a collision. Prior to making such a maneuver, drivers must indicate which direction they intend to merge by turning on their turn signal, and they must keep that turn signal on until they are completely within the adjacent lane they are merging into.
A truck driver who fails to do any of these things has violated their duty of care to drive lawfully and safely, which they owe equally to everyone else on the road with them. If a breach of duty involving an unsafe lane change is the main and direct cause of a truck crash in Phoenix, AZ, the driver who caused that wreck has met all the criteria needed to be considered legally negligent and can be held financially liable for wreck-related losses based on that negligence.
Fighting Allegations of Comparative Fault
Of course, people driving near commercial tractor-trailers also have a duty of care to act responsibly behind the wheel, and they too can be considered negligent if they breach that duty in such a way that they directly cause or contribute to causing a collision. If someone injured in a truck wreck in Phoenix, AZ caused by an unsafe lane change is found partially at fault for that accident, they may be assigned a percentage of comparative fault for their role in causing their accident-related injuries.
Following Arizona Revised Statutes §12-2505, a court overseeing any lawsuit filed by that injured person—or an insurance company making a decision about an insurance claim—would reduce the total amount of compensation available to that person by their assigned percentage of fault. This is a major obstacle to effective civil recovery after truck accidents, which a knowledgeable lawyer can provide vital help navigating around.
Contact a Phoenix, AZ Attorney for Help Suing Over a Truck Accident Caused by an Unsafe Lane Change
Proving a truck driver was to blame for a traffic accident that left you seriously injured can be difficult under any circumstances. However, it can be especially hard to effectively file suit over truck accidents caused by unsafe lane changes in Phoenix, AZ, since the line between what does and does not count as negligence in a situation like this can be much thinner than many people realize.
Fortunately, you have guidance from capable legal professionals willing to take your case to trial if needed to get you paid everything you deserve. Call today to set up a free, no-obligation consultation with a member of our legal team here at Phillips Law Group.
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