Fort Lauderdale Left-Turn Accident Lawyer
Serving Fort Lauderdale and Clients Throughout Florida
Millions Recovered for Accident Victims
Written and reviewed by Yana Kurzman, Esq.
Founder, Kurzman Law Group
Attorney since 1994 | Florida attorney since 2011 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Attorney Bio | Florida Bar Profile
Last reviewed: September 20, 2026
If another driver turned left across your path in Fort Lauderdale and caused a crash, call Kurzman Law Group as soon as you safely can. Left-turn collisions can cause severe front and side impacts, and they often produce immediate disputes about the traffic signal, right of way, speed, visibility, and exactly where each vehicle was positioned.
A driver making a left turn generally has to yield to approaching traffic that is already in the intersection or close enough to create an immediate hazard. But left-turn cases are not always as simple as saying the turning driver is automatically at fault. The evidence still matters: the light sequence, distance between vehicles, whether either driver accelerated, whether the turn was protected by an arrow, whether a vehicle was passing, and whether the view was obstructed.
Kurzman Law Group can investigate those facts, communicate with the insurance companies on your behalf, preserve available evidence, identify the applicable coverage, and guide you through the medical, vehicle, and claim issues that follow.
Related resource: Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Lawyer
What Should I Do
After a Left-Turn Accident?
Your first concern should be safety. If anyone may be seriously hurt, call 911. If emergency personnel recommend evaluation or transportation, make the decision based on your condition rather than simply on concern about the cost. If you are dizzy, confused, in significant pain, or otherwise unable to drive safely, do not try to drive yourself.
If you can safely document the scene, photograph the vehicles, the intersection, traffic lights or arrows, lane markings, turn lanes, signs, debris, and where the vehicles came to rest. A left-turn case can depend heavily on the geometry of the intersection and the direction each vehicle was traveling, so wide photographs can be just as important as close-ups of damage.
When speaking with the investigating officer, explain what you actually remember. If you do not know the exact color of the light, how fast the other vehicle was moving, or how far away it was when the turn began, say so. Do not guess. Accurate facts are more useful than trying to make a legal conclusion at the scene.
If you are safely able to do so, call Kurzman Law Group from the scene. Early involvement can help us identify witnesses, cameras, traffic-signal evidence, vehicle positions, insurance information, and other facts that may become harder to recover later.
Who Is Usually at Fault
in a Left-Turn Accident?
Florida Statute §316.122 provides that a driver intending to turn left within an intersection, or into an alley, private road, or driveway, must yield the right of way to vehicles approaching from the opposite direction when those vehicles are already in the intersection or are so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.
That rule is often central in a collision where one vehicle travels straight and another turns left across its path. But it does not automatically resolve every case. We still examine the signal phase, the speed and position of the approaching vehicle, whether the left-turning driver had a protected green arrow, whether the other driver entered on a red light, and whether anything blocked the turning driver’s view.
Official source: Florida Statute §316.122
What If the Driver Had a Green Light
but Turned Left in Front of Me?
A circular green light does not necessarily give a left-turning driver an unconditional right of way. Florida Statute §316.075 allows traffic facing a green signal to proceed, including turning left unless prohibited, but requires turning traffic to yield to vehicles and pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or adjacent crosswalk.
That is different from a protected green arrow. If the other driver had only a circular green light and turned across oncoming traffic, we need to determine whether your vehicle was close enough that the turn created an immediate hazard.
Signal timing, witness statements, intersection video, dash-camera footage, and the damage pattern can all become important when the drivers disagree about who had the right of way.
Official source: Florida Statute §316.075
What If the Other Driver Says
They Had a Green Arrow?
A claimed green arrow should be investigated, not simply accepted. If the driver actually had a protected left-turn arrow, that can materially change the liability analysis. But the driver’s recollection may be wrong, especially after a sudden collision.
Depending on the intersection, useful evidence may include traffic-signal phasing information, municipal or business video, dash-camera footage, witnesses, police observations, and the sequence of traffic moving through adjacent lanes. We also compare the vehicle damage and final resting positions with the drivers’ accounts.
Kurzman Law Group can investigate the signal issue rather than leaving you to argue about the light with an insurance adjuster.
What If the Other Driver Turned Left
From a Driveway or Parking Lot?
Florida’s left-turn yielding rule also applies when a driver turns left into or from certain private roads, driveways, and alleys, and other right-of-way rules may apply when a vehicle enters a roadway from a private location. These crashes often happen when a driver attempts to cross several lanes of traffic to reach the opposite direction.
A driver may say another vehicle waved them through or that traffic in one lane stopped and created a gap. That does not necessarily mean every other lane was clear. If a driver crosses multiple lanes, each lane of approaching traffic must be considered.
The location of the driveway, sight lines, stopped vehicles, lane configuration, and point of impact can be important evidence.
What If a Driver Turned Left
Across Two or Three Lanes of Traffic?
Multi-lane roads create a common left-turn problem. A driver may be able to see that the first lane has stopped but fail to see a vehicle approaching in a second or third lane. The turning vehicle may enter the intersection slowly while an approaching driver has little time to react.
These cases can involve arguments about whether the approaching vehicle was speeding, changing lanes, or passing stopped traffic. We do not assume either side’s explanation is correct without looking at the roadway, vehicle damage, witness accounts, video, and other available evidence.
The fact that one lane yielded does not automatically establish that the entire roadway was clear.
What If the Other Driver Says
I Was Speeding?
Speed is one of the most common defenses in a left-turn case. A turning driver may argue that the approaching vehicle was far enough away to complete the turn safely and only became an immediate hazard because it was traveling too fast.
That allegation should be evaluated with evidence rather than accepted at face value. Vehicle damage, skid or braking evidence, event data when legally obtainable, video, witness descriptions, roadway distance, and the timing of the turn may help determine whether speed actually contributed to the collision.
Florida’s comparative-fault rules can affect a claim when more than one person’s conduct contributed to a crash, so disputed speed allegations should be investigated carefully rather than ignored.
What If I Hit the Side of the Car
That Turned Left in Front of Me?
That damage pattern is common in left-turn collisions. The approaching vehicle may strike the passenger side or rear side of the turning vehicle because the turning driver crosses the lane and leaves too little distance to stop.
Insurance companies sometimes focus on the fact that the approaching driver was the one whose vehicle physically struck the other car. That does not by itself establish fault. The central question is how the turning vehicle entered the approaching driver’s path and whether the approaching driver had a reasonable opportunity to avoid the collision.
Damage location can help reconstruct the sequence, but it should be evaluated together with the intersection, traffic controls, vehicle positions, statements, video, and other evidence.
What If the Other Driver Says
I Ran the Red Light?
When both drivers claim they had the right of way, the traffic signal can become the core issue in the case. A statement in the police report may reflect what a driver or witness said, but it may not be the final answer if the officer did not personally observe the light.
We may look for intersection cameras, nearby business surveillance, dash-camera footage, witnesses, signal timing information, and traffic patterns. The sooner those sources are identified, the better the chance that relevant video or records still exist.
Do not guess about the light if you genuinely do not remember. State what you know accurately and let the evidence be investigated.
Left-Turn Accidents at Fort Lauderdale Intersections
Fort Lauderdale has many multi-lane intersections where drivers turn across several lanes of opposing traffic. Roads such as Federal Highway/U.S. 1, Broward Boulevard, Sunrise Boulevard, Oakland Park Boulevard, and Commercial Boulevard can involve dedicated turn lanes, protected arrows, permissive green lights, multiple through lanes, and heavy traffic.
A left-turn crash may happen when a driver tries to beat oncoming traffic, misjudges the closing distance, turns after another vehicle blocks the view, or starts moving as a light changes. We do not label any particular intersection dangerous without evidence; the local roadway context matters because it affects sight lines, available video, lane configuration, and how the collision occurred.
If businesses, condominiums, hotels, gas stations, or residences overlook the intersection, surveillance footage may exist but may not be preserved for long. Early investigation can make a practical difference.
What If the Left Turn Happened on Las Olas, Federal Highway, or Sunrise Boulevard?
The mechanics of the collision matter more than the street name, but local context can help identify evidence. On busy Fort Lauderdale corridors, a driver may turn across several lanes into a shopping center, side street, condominium entrance, or business driveway rather than at a major signalized intersection.
Those locations can create additional sight-line problems because stopped vehicles, parked cars, landscaping, median openings, or turning traffic may affect what each driver could see. Nearby businesses may also have exterior cameras that captured the movement before impact.
Kurzman Law Group investigates the specific location instead of relying on a generic assumption about who had the right of way.
What Evidence Matters in a Left-Turn Accident?
Left-turn cases often depend on evidence showing the signal, vehicle positions, timing, and sight lines. Useful evidence may include:
- photographs of the intersection, traffic lights, arrows, signs, lane markings, and final vehicle positions;
- damage photographs showing the point and angle of impact;
- dash-camera, traffic, business, condominium, or other surveillance video when available;
- witness names and contact information;
- police observations, diagrams, and statements;
- traffic-signal timing or phasing information when relevant and obtainable;
- vehicle electronic data when relevant and legally obtainable; and
- insurance and ownership information for every involved vehicle.
The purpose is to answer the practical questions that decide the case: who entered whose path, what signal controlled the movement, how much time existed to react, and whether the turn could be completed safely.
What If There Were No Independent Witnesses?
A left-turn case can still be investigated even when no neutral witness stopped. The physical evidence may provide important information, and cameras can sometimes replace eyewitness testimony.
We look at damage location, intersection geometry, traffic controls, photographs, police observations, vehicle data when available, and whether nearby properties or vehicles captured video. The absence of a witness does not automatically turn the case into an unsolvable one-driver-against-another dispute.
What If the Police Officer Did Not Give the Turning Driver a Ticket?
The absence of a citation does not automatically decide a civil injury claim. Officers often arrive after the collision and may have to rely on conflicting statements, incomplete information, or evidence available only at the scene.
A civil claim can still be investigated using photographs, video, witnesses, roadway evidence, and applicable traffic laws. Likewise, a citation does not eliminate the need to prove the facts of the injury claim and damages.
What If I Felt Fine at the Scene
but Started Hurting Later?
A left-turn collision can involve a strong frontal, front-corner, or side impact. At the scene, you may be focused on airbags, a disabled vehicle, police, towing, or simply trying to understand what happened. Pain and stiffness can become more noticeable later.
If symptoms develop, obtain appropriate medical evaluation based on your condition. Do not ignore neck pain, back pain, headaches, shoulder pain, chest pain, numbness, tingling, or other symptoms simply because you initially thought you were okay.
Florida law generally requires initial medical care within 14 days after a motor-vehicle accident for PIP medical coverage to remain available. Waiting can therefore create both medical and insurance problems.
Who Pays for My Car, Towing, and Rental Vehicle?
Left-turn crashes frequently cause significant front-end or side damage and may leave one or both vehicles undrivable. Towing, storage, repairs, total-loss issues, and rental transportation can become immediate problems while the insurers are still investigating fault.
Kurzman Law Group can help communicate with the insurers regarding property damage, towing, repair issues, and rental transportation where applicable. Depending on the circumstances, your own coverage may also become relevant while liability is being investigated.
You do not have to wait until the injury claim is resolved before addressing what happens to your vehicle.
Who Pays My Medical Bills After a Left-Turn Accident?
Several types of automobile coverage may become relevant after a Florida crash. Which coverage applies depends on the policies, the people involved, and the facts of the collision.
You do not need to determine the insurance structure yourself before getting medical care or legal guidance. Kurzman Law Group can identify available coverage, communicate with the carriers, and help guide the medical-billing and injury-claim process.
If you are having difficulty locating a provider who can see you after the accident, we can explain the process and, when legally permissible, assist you in locating appropriate medical providers near you if you do not already have one. Medical decisions themselves should be made by qualified healthcare professionals.
Should I Give the Insurance Company a Recorded Statement?
Before giving a detailed recorded statement about the collision, the signal, your speed, your injuries, or your medical history, speak with Kurzman Law Group. Left-turn cases often involve disputed details, and an adjuster may ask you to commit to estimates about distance, speed, timing, or the light sequence before the evidence has been gathered.
Reporting an accident is different from giving a detailed statement about disputed fault or injuries. Your own policy may require prompt notice, but you do not need to handle every substantive insurance conversation on your own.
Kurzman Law Group can communicate with the insurance carriers on your behalf and help make sure the claim is presented based on accurate facts rather than guesses.
How Much Is a Left-Turn Accident Case Worth?
There is no reliable formula for valuing a left-turn accident claim. The amount depends on the injuries, medical treatment, future medical needs, lost income, permanent impairment, pain and suffering where legally recoverable, the strength of the liability evidence, available insurance, and other circumstances.
A generic settlement calculator or artificial intelligence cannot determine whether the other driver had a protected arrow, whether speed contributed, what evidence exists, what insurance applies, or how the medical evidence affects the claim. Those questions have to be investigated from the actual facts.
Insurance limits are also not the same thing as case value. Coverage identifies a potential source of payment; it does not establish the amount of damages.
How Long Do I Have to Hire a Lawyer
After a Left-Turn Accident?
You do not have to hire a lawyer at the scene, but evidence can disappear quickly. Surveillance footage may be overwritten, vehicles may be repaired, witnesses may become harder to locate, and memories become less precise.
Florida also has legal deadlines for accident claims and lawsuits, but the practical evidence deadline can arrive much sooner. When the traffic signal or right of way is disputed, early investigation can be particularly important.
There is usually little benefit in waiting while the insurance companies are already investigating the collision.
How Can Kurzman Law Group Help
After a Left-Turn Accident?
A left-turn claim can involve disputed right of way, traffic-signal questions, vehicle damage, multiple insurers, medical treatment, and competing versions of what happened. You should not have to manage those issues yourself.
When Kurzman Law Group represents you, we can:
- investigate how the left-turn collision occurred and which traffic controls applied;
- identify and preserve photographs, video, witnesses, signal information, and other evidence;
- analyze vehicle positions, intersection geometry, damage patterns, and points of impact;
- communicate with insurance carriers on your behalf;
- identify available insurance coverage and responsible parties;
- help with towing, vehicle repairs, rental transportation, and other property-damage issues when applicable;
- guide you through the medical-treatment process and, when legally permissible, assist in locating appropriate medical providers near you if needed;
- document medical treatment, expenses, lost income, and other losses;
- evaluate settlement offers and negotiate the claim; and
- file a lawsuit when litigation becomes necessary.
Our job is to investigate the right-of-way dispute, preserve the evidence, identify available coverage, protect your rights, and take as much of the burden off your plate as possible so you can focus on recovering and getting your life back to normal.
Why Choose Kurzman Law Group
After a Left-Turn Accident?
Left-turn cases can look straightforward until the drivers give completely different accounts of the traffic light, speed, distance, or timing. Knowing what evidence to preserve and which questions to ask can materially affect how the claim is evaluated.
Attorney Yana Kurzman has practiced law since 1994 and has been licensed in Florida since 2011. She is directly involved in the firm’s serious injury cases. Kurzman Law Group represents clients in Fort Lauderdale and throughout Florida and assists both English- and Russian-speaking clients.
If another driver turned left across your path, contact Kurzman Law Group before you are left trying to resolve the right-of-way dispute directly with an insurance adjuster.
Fort Lauderdale Left-Turn Accident FAQs
Is the Driver Making a Left Turn Always at Fault?
No. Florida law generally requires a left-turning driver to yield to approaching traffic that is already in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard, but the actual signal, vehicle positions, speed, and other evidence still matter.
What If the Other Driver Had a Green Light?
A circular green signal may permit a left turn, but turning traffic still has to yield to vehicles lawfully within the intersection or close enough to create a hazard. A protected green arrow presents a different issue and should be verified.
What If the Driver Says They Had a Green Arrow?
That claim should be investigated. Signal timing, video, witnesses, police information, traffic patterns, and physical evidence may help determine what signal actually controlled the turn.
What If I Hit the Side of the Turning Car?
That does not automatically make you at fault. In many left-turn collisions, the turning vehicle crosses the approaching vehicle’s path and is struck along the side because there is too little time or distance to avoid impact.
What If the Turning Driver Says I Was Speeding?
Speed can be relevant, but it should be evaluated using evidence. Damage, roadway distance, braking evidence, video, witnesses, and vehicle data when available may help determine whether speed actually contributed.
What If the Crash Happened While the Driver Was Leaving a Parking Lot?
A driver crossing traffic from a driveway or private road still has to account for approaching vehicles. The lane configuration, sight lines, stopped traffic, and point of impact can be important.
Should I Call Kurzman Law Group From the Scene?
Yes, if you are safely able to do so. Early involvement can help identify cameras, witnesses, traffic-signal issues, vehicle positions, and other evidence before it disappears.
What If I Did Not Feel Hurt Until Later?
Symptoms can become more noticeable after the initial stress of a collision. Obtain appropriate medical evaluation based on your condition, and remember that Florida generally requires initial medical care within 14 days for PIP medical coverage to remain available.
Should I Give the Other Driver's Insurance Company a Recorded Statement?
Speak with Kurzman Law Group before giving a detailed recorded statement about disputed fault, speed, the traffic signal, injuries, or medical history. We can communicate with the insurers on your behalf.
What If the Police Officer Did Not Issue a Ticket?
The absence of a citation does not automatically determine the civil claim. The accident can still be investigated using the applicable law and available physical, video, and testimonial evidence.
Official Sources Referenced
By appointment only
Kurzman Law Group
500 E. Broward Blvd, Suite 1015
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33394
(954) 406-6464
Kurzman Law Group is located in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale, just one block north of Las Olas Boulevard. Our office in the Broward Financial Centre places the firm in one of the city’s most established and recognizable business districts, with convenient access from Broward Boulevard, US-1, I-95, and the Las Olas corridor.
Contact Kurzman Law Group After a Left-Turn Accident
If another driver turned left across your path in Fort Lauderdale or elsewhere in Florida, contact Kurzman Law Group as soon as you reasonably can.
You do not need to prove at the scene exactly which signal was showing or resolve the right-of-way dispute yourself. We can investigate the collision, preserve evidence, identify available insurance, communicate with the carriers, and guide you through the vehicle, medical, and claim issues that follow.
Free consultation.
