Advice Needed: Is This Scenario a Joint Fault Cause? - California

[ArtZappa]

You go through all that effort to draw the map for Jack but skip my question?

Porsche Macan, how come?

 

[Al3x Lee]

Porsche Macan, how come?

I was trying to figure out if it was a shitbox or not. Clearly, a Macan is a nice car, if your record is clean and your credit is good, it's probably worth filing the claim. Porsches aren't cheap to fix, as I'm sure you know

 

[adjusterjack]

This illustrates the importance of complete and proper information. I found your location and went to street view. You're on a very wide residential street, certainly wide enough for an oncoming car to move left around a car parked at the curb.



In fact, turning around, there is a car turning left from California St on to South 3rd and about to pass a car at the curb.. Even if that red car's doors were open, the other car should easily be able to avoid hitting the doors.



I'll put the fault on the other driver now but I think it's dangerous to load and unload from the driver's side when parked at a curb.

You may still bear a small percentage of fault.

Contact the other driver's insurance company and provide photos and a repair bill along with the written thing and see how it goes. No need to get your own insurance involved at this point.

 

[adjusterjack]

What you are looking at is my route from my friend's house to my house, a similar intersection to the one you described. I travel south on 29th Place, west on Union Hills, and turn south on to 29th Street. Villa Theresa is about 100 feet south of the turn.

On one occasion I made the turn at 11 mph and on another I made the turn at 15 mph. On both turns I was able to come to a complete stop before reaching Villa Theresa. Had there been a car parked on 29th Street opposite Villa Theresa (same position as your friend's car) I would have easily avoided hitting it.

However, it is still my opinion that the oncoming driver had a reasonable expectation that he would not have to swerve into an oncoming lane to avoid the other car's open door on the street side. Especially for unloading a child from that side. It was a dangerous move.

I could be wrong. Your friend will have to decide whether to use insurance or not and take his chances on the claim rep's decision as to fault.