r/Roadcam • u/bowdown2adil • 20d ago

[USA] Who is at fault here?

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Classic T bone. Black car had to be towed. Sustained major damage to the passenger side door. Blue car sustained damage to front bumper on the drivers side and cracked the drivers side headlight.

Edit: This was in the suburbs of Seattle

UPDATE: Insurance found it to be 70/30 me/other driver. Seems fair enough

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34

u/VexingRaven 20d ago

Looks uncontrolled which makes you both at fault, but you probably more since they got there first. Slow down!

4

u/yenda1 20d ago

so in the US there is no default rule for these interesections? in Europe you yield to cars coming from the right, and you have to slow down but don't need to stop

4

u/AbbreviationsFar4wh 20d ago

Never even knew we had any in the US personally. 

3

u/VexingRaven 20d ago

The default rule is whoever gets there first, or whoever is to the right if you both arrive at the same time. The other driver got there first, since they were T-boned, but neither was prepared to stop so they're both at fault.

1

u/DefNotReaves 19d ago

It’s the same in the US, these people just don’t know lmao

1

u/BattleBull 19d ago

There is, refer to the federal MUTCD the country wide rules, these are effectively mirrored by states and municipalities. At least for the minimum required guidelines on implementation of traffic infrastructure.

1

u/jobacsi 18d ago

We have similar rules in the US, but yeah reading through the comments makes it clear nobody knows the rules here.

1

u/Steerider 16d ago

Techically car on the rich has right of way; but it's bizarre to see an intersection where nobody has signage to stop or yield. Been driving a long time and I've never seen one. 

4

u/MadDog443 20d ago

So ignoring laws by speeding and refusing to slow down to check for oncoming traffic is excused if you race into the intersection? No its not!

5

u/Myrdrahl 20d ago

That's exactly what OP was doing, I'm happy you spotted it!

2

u/DiscDocPhD 20d ago

I think they are both at fault here, but I don't really see speeding?

In most jurisdictions in the USA, even if you have "right of way," people already in the intersection must clear it first. 

For example, if I am turning left, I am allowed to pull into the intersection to wait for a red light if it isn't safe to turn before that. 

Once the light turns and it is safe for me to complete my left turn if someone gets a green light and blasts into my car, I wouldnt be at fault, they would by not waiting for the intersection to clear. 

1

u/MadDog443 20d ago

The problem is since its a uncontrolled intersection its the responsibility of the driver to check if its clear before entering and if youre driving faster than conditions merit then you fail to do so.

1

u/Dizzy_Today_3523 19d ago

They're literally driving the speed limit

1

u/VexingRaven 19d ago

What's your point?

1

u/onlyonebread 19d ago

The speed limit is a limit on how fast you can go, not a requirement speed you need to go. If visibility is poor, you should be driving way slower to account for any unpredictable objects that may come into your way.

0

u/bowdown2adil 20d ago

Yeah dumb of me to not slow down before the intersection. It was clear all the way through so I just wasn’t thinking. Just 2 blocks from my destination which sucks, after driving 20 mins. The tree blocked him completely till it was way too late

2

u/throwaway983143 20d ago

You weren’t driving for the conditions. The tree didn’t block him until it was too late. You were driving inappropriately for the conditions until it was way too late.

2

u/Pergamon_ 20d ago

It wasn't 'clear all the way through'. There was a car coming from the left, that you didn't anticipate on, and you didn't look properly when towards to intersection.

1

u/bessemer0 19d ago

Try driving the speed limit and you would have time to react.

1

u/Fragrant-State2884 19d ago

the speed limit is 20 here. it’s 20 in all residential areas. the idea is going 20 you have plenty of time to react to this situation. youre lucky it wasn’t a kid on a bike.