Molsky v. Stang
The Accident occurred on Nov. 29, 2004, when the plaintiff was
driving westbound on
Relying on the driver's signal, the Plaintiff made a left hand turn, at which point the passenger's side of her Dodge Neon was broadsided by an the Defendant driving an Acura sedan driven who was eastbound in the left lane of East Pittsburgh St.
As a result of the accident, the plaintiff was rushed by ambulance to a hospital where she underwent open reduction internal fixation on a fractured right tibia which later required implanted surgical hardware.
The jury found no negligence by the defendants.
Any motorist approaching such an intersection is required to utilize a high degree of caution. The law recognizes that a left turn is a hazardous maneuver because the left turning vehicle enters the lane of traffic for other vehicles. In fact, some courts have stated that the left turn is the most dangerous maneuver a motorist may execute. Therefore, great caution should always be undertaken.
The owner's burden placed upon a left-turning motorist is not discharged by the mere signaling of an intention to turn. The giving of a signal is immaterial if at the time the driver of the turning vehicle did not have the opportunity to make the turn in safety.
