Tractor Trailer Driver Lies to his Insurance Company…
Posted on September 10, 2007 by Rosalind Gardner
Filed Under Bad Drivers |
I am absolutely livid.
On August 31st, a Sager Transport tractor trailer driver made an unsafe right turn on North Queen Street in Toronto and rammed into my rental car. The damage was considerable and the vehicle was no longer driveable. (See the full set of pictures in larger detail.)
That’s not what I’m livid about however…
What I’m livid about is that the driver lied to his insurance company (Markel Insurance) about his responsibility for causing the accident; a fact which is impeding my ability to process the claim rapidly, is wasting my time (for more than the 4 hours that he ripped me off for the day of the accident) and is giving me completely unecessary headaches.
First of all, I’ve been driving for 31 years - have never caused an accident and have probably seen a thousand wide right turns made by tractor trailer drivers.
This guy got it ALL wrong!!!!!
Here’s a point-by-point account what happened (if it’s not perfectly obvious from the photos).
- I was travelling behind him in the right lane.
- He signalled left, moved completely into the left lane and slowed down. (He appeared to be planning a left turn into the mall on the south side of North Queen Street).
- I continued driving in the right lane and pulled alonside the tractor trailer.
- As my vehicle was just approaching the cab of the tractor trailer, the driver of the tractor trailer signalled right and started turning into my lane.
- Although I swerved right and braked heavily, the accident was unavoidable.
As mentioned, I’ve probably seen a thousand tractor trailer drivers make wide right turns in the time I’ve been driving. Most slow down while still in the right lane and block the right lane with their trailers as they widen out the turn to the left.
This guy did NOT do that at all.
More importantly, he obviously did NOT check to see what traffic was behind him in the right lane as he changed into the left lane.
The Toronto police attended the scene and filed an accident report.
I clearly overhead the constable telling the tractor trailer driver that the accident was in no uncertain terms his fault - i.e. it was his responsibility to make sure that the right lane was clear prior to commencing the turn - and am quite sure that he was ticketed.
If he was not charged with an unsafe turn, he certainly should have been - because despite the officer’s admonitions, in lying to his insurance company, this arrogant little man obviously still believes that he has no liability for the accident.
Sadly, if he continues to hold this erroneous belief, he will continue on as before and may kill someone the next time he makes a wide right turn without properly assessing the traffic situation.
In this case, he got ‘lucky’ by hitting the front left quarter panel of my car and causing no serious injuries. He was also very ‘lucky’ that there were no pedestrians on the sidewalk, or cyclists in the right lane when this guy pulled this extremely stupid manoeuver.
Let’s hope he either LEARNS something of value from this accident, and appreciates that driving requires more than just luck - it also requires SKILL.
Technorati Tags: tractor trailer, right turn, car accident, unsafe turn, Sager Transport
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4 Responses to “Tractor Trailer Driver Lies to his Insurance Company…”
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Even though you have seen many wide turns by tractor trailers, you state that when the driver pulled into the left hand land you assumed he was going to turn left. You never stated whether he had his left hand turn signal on.
Actually, that’s the FIRST thing I said in my account.
It is obvious you know very little about tractor trailers and what is required to drive them. I have worked in the industry for over 6 years, and have followed many tractors turning right.
It is the norm to move into the left hand lane to make the right hand turn, in order NOT to let their trailers role over the curb when making a right hand turn. Depending on your speed of excelleration to move up beside him, (actually, I didn’t accelerate at all) he could have checked his mirror and not have seen you just before you moved up. It it also the rule of thumb for any driver to give any tractor trailer a wide berth, and to drive in such a manner that he/she knows where you are.
I also find it in extremely poor taste to have this put on the internet when it is an insurance issue and a legal issue. The driver has his named mentioned, yet you are unsure whether he has been charged or not. This is a huge “privacy” issue, and shows you in a poor light. Even if this driver has been ticketed, he is allowed his day in court and you madam are not the judge or jury.
As the old saying goes, there is your side of the truth, the dirver’s side and the acutal. That is why we pay for and have insurance, so they can slug it out as to who is actually at fault. (There is NO DOUBT as to who is at fault here - and the primary point is that this guy LIED to his insurance company.) Remember everyone makes mistakes (yes of course, but mature honest people take responsibility for their actions) and this was an accident not a personal slight against you. Have some class and take this off your site.
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Ros,
I’m with you on this one. My husband used to drive rigs, and even he notices that there are some out there who really don’t know the proper rules for wide turns. We were driving the other day and a rig had a sticker on it that said “my signal is a WARNING not a REQUEST” - seems like this guy has the same attitude, last I checked, all drivers had the same set of rules. If everyone considered their signal a WARNING for everyone to get out of the way, and not a request, or a signal of intent - well, what an ugly world this would be. I wonder if this is the first time he’s done this (maybe that’s why he lied?) Hope it all turns out well in the end.
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1. When I came out of Truck Driving School 9 years ago I aced the tests call me what you want but I am good. The truck driver in this case was in the wrong, YOU DO NOT SIGNAL LEFT at that point your telling people to go around you on the right. BLOCK THE RIGHT LANE WITH YOUR TRAILER by steering left, swing a wide right turn safely and continue down the road. No Problems, though we are bigger, we do not own the road.
2. Nobody, no matter what you drive/ride requests to turn. EVERY vehicle no matter what all of us drive has a warning light indicating what we attempt to do, it is a CAUTION SIGNAL. CAUTION>LEFT, CAUTION>RIGHT, CAUTION>FOUR WAY SIGNALS.
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I’d like to share that “MOST” not all Truck Drivers that retained their CLASS A CDL through a Trucking Company make up there own rules and habits.
I retained MY CLASS A CDL through a Truck Driving School and did one on one, myself and a trainer is the proper training to receive. One on one getting the entire 20 hours that is required by each and every state. If you can print this and my previous message you may use it, if it helps your case.
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