Who is at fault when a lane-cutting vehicle gets hit?
1 Answers
Determining liability when a lane-cutting vehicle gets hit depends on specific circumstances, as explained below: 1. Lane-changing vehicles must not obstruct vehicles traveling normally in their lane. If a traffic accident occurs, the lane-changing vehicle will bear all or primary responsibility for the accident. Whether it's straddling lane markings or making an emergency lane change, regardless of whether the line is dashed or solid, the lane-changing vehicle will be primarily or fully at fault. 2. If the rear vehicle intentionally hits the lane-cutting vehicle, the situation is different. Intentional collision constitutes a traffic offense and will be entirely the rear vehicle's responsibility. However, in most cases, it's difficult to determine from driving behavior or surveillance footage alone whether the rear driver acted intentionally. Substantial evidence is required to prove intentional collision by the rear vehicle. 3. If the lane-cutting vehicle has completed its lane change and the rear vehicle then hits it, this will most likely be classified as a rear-end collision. If the rear vehicle is proven to have intentionally caused the collision, not only will it bear full responsibility for the accident, but insurance companies will also refuse to cover the damages.
