Myrtle Beach Failure to Signal Car Accident Lawyers

If you suffered injuries in a car accident due to another driver failing to use their turn signal, contact the Myrtle Beach car accident lawyers of the Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers today. You might be entitled to financial compensation for your medical treatment and other expenses, as well as any emotional trauma endured following the crash. Our legal team could help you hold the negligent motorist liable for their actions and seek the justice you deserve.

Turn signals are necessary so that a motorist can indicate to other drivers when they intend to merge onto a highway, change lanes, or turn. When a driver doesn’t use their turn signal, it increases the risk of a collision with other vehicles. The negligent motorist could cut off another driver, sideswipe a car traveling next to them, or run over a pedestrian crossing the road.

According to South Carolina statute 56-502150, someone planning to move left or right or turn their vehicle on a roadway must give an appropriate signal first. Failure to signal is not only reckless but also illegal. At the Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers, we know the dangers the occupants of vehicles and non-motorists face when someone behaves carelessly at the wheel. You deserve an opportunity to hold the driver accountable and secure the money you’re owed for the suffering you were forced to endure.

Call the Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers at (843) 839-4795 for your free consultation with one of our Myrtle Beach failure to signal car accident lawyers and learn more about your legal options.

Why Turn Signals Are Important

A turn signal is one of many precautions drivers can use to prevent accidents. It notifies other motorists of anticipated action, such as changing lanes. This gives drivers around that person time to move out of the way, slow down, or stop. Unfortunately, failure to signal can cause someone traveling behind the careless driver to crash into the rear of their vehicle or result in a side-impact collision with a person traveling alongside them.

Turn signals are also vital to keep pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorists safe. Since these people don’t have the same protections as the occupants of vehicles, they need to know a motorist’s intentions at turns, intersections, crosswalks, and other dangerous areas. A driver that chooses not to use their turn signal at an intersection could turn directly into a pedestrian already in the crosswalk.

When Drivers Are Supposed to Use Turn Signals

Turn signals are essential on every back road, major road, highway, and even in parking lots. Motorists should always use a turn signal in these situations:

• Merging – While merging onto a highway or another scenario where merging is necessary, motorists should use their turn signal to indicate to others that they intend to join the flowing traffic.
• Turning – Turning right or left requires a turn signal in advance, so drivers behind them know the person ahead needs to slow down or stop to prepare for the turn.
• Changing lanes – Motorists must use their turn signal and check for other vehicles thoroughly before entering another lane. If there’s already a car traveling next to them, they should wait for that person to pass.
• Parking lots – Parking lots contain many vehicles and foot traffic. Whether a motorist plans to park their car or enter a lot, they should use their turn signal, so everyone around them knows what they’re about to do.
• Passing others – Passing another driver requires a turn signal so that motorists can slow down or move into a different lane for the person driving faster than them.
• Street parking – Parallel parking means the driver must pass the space before backing up into it. They should use their turn signal so the motorist behind them can begin to slow down and prepare to stop if necessary.
• Exiting a highway – Pulling off the highway means drivers need to reduce their speed before merging into the exit lane. Using a turn signal is crucial to inform other motorists what they’re about to do so they can begin to slow down as well or change lanes to pass the exiting driver.

Any of these scenarios could result in an accident if a driver doesn’t use their turn signal. You should call the Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers for a free consultation immediately following the collision if you believe the negligent

motorist’s behavior resulted in your injuries.

Common Types of Car Accidents Resulting from Failure to Signal

A range of crashes can occur when a motorist doesn’t use their turn signal. The most common include:

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  Head-on collision – Two motorists can crash head-on into each other if one of them doesn’t use their turn signal while attempting to park in the same spot.

• Sideswipe accident – A driver can sideswipe a vehicle next to them while changing lanes without signaling first.
• T-bone crash – Typically, T-bone accidents occur in intersections when someone turning left doesn’t signal to oncoming motorists.
• Rear-end collision – A motorist traveling behind a person planning to turn right can’t slow down or stop if they don’t know what the turning driver is about to do.

If you were involved in any of these or another type of crash due to another driver’s failure to use their turn signal, reach out to the Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers to determine if you have a case we can help you pursue.

Compensation You Can Pursue After a Failure to Signal Accident

South Carolina is a fault car accident state. That means the at-fault motorist could become liable for an injured person’s losses, such as:

• Property damage
• Emotional distress
• Medical bills
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Out-of-pocket expenses
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of income
• Lost earning capacity

State law requires every driver to carry auto insurance with minimum liability limits for bodily injury and property damage. You could file a claim with the other motorist’s auto insurance carrier for a settlement to compensate for the losses you suffered.

If the insurance company offers a settlement that doesn’t cover your total losses or denies your claim entirely, you might have the option to file a lawsuit.

You must follow a statute of limitations, which is a timeframe for initiating a lawsuit against another person following an injury. South Carolina has a three-year statute of limitations. That means you have three years from the date of the crash to file your lawsuit if you want to pursue compensation.

Contact Us

If someone’s failure to signal led to your injuries in a car accident, call the Law Office of William J. Luse, Inc. Accident & Injury Lawyers at (843) 839-4795. One of our Myrtle Beach failure to signal car accident lawyers can discuss what happened with you during a free consultation and advise what we can do to help you seek the maximum compensation you deserve.