Full disclosure. Our office is an insurance agency located in Colorado, we are not claims adjusters. That being said, here’s our opinion on the viral Facebook post.
The driver in the right lane triggered the car accident. The car in the right lane merged into traffic without any regard to the current flow of traffic. If you’re merging into traffic, it is your responsibility to merge without causing the cars around you to brake, speed up or have to change lanes. My opinion, they were 80% at fault for causing the car in the middle to hit the car in the left lane. Added bonus, they fled the scene of an accident, although they may not even be aware of what they caused.
The driver in the middle lane also has some fault. They were clearly aware that a car was merging into their lane. Rather than braking, they swerved into the left lane. Just because you are avoiding an accident, doesn’t mean you are allowed to crash into other cars. My opinion, they are 70% at fault when hitting the car in the left lane. Added bonus, this driver also fled the scene of an accident.
The driver in the left lane probably has some fault, but I think it is too difficult from the video to determine completely. It appears they are probably exceeding the speed limit in a construction zone. If they were driving the speed limit, they probably would have had more time to slow down and avoid the accident. Defensive driving means avoiding potential accidents.
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