Roundabouts are supposed to keep traffic moving safely, but after an accident, drivers often disagree about who had the right-of-way. Was the other driver supposed to yield before entering? Did someone cross into another lane? Was one car trying to exit when the collision happened?

If you’re trying to determine who is at fault in a roundabout accident, where the crash happened and what each driver was doing immediately beforehand are usually the best places to start. In Virginia, fault is especially important because sharing responsibility for the car accident can prevent you from recovering compensation for your injuries.

If you were injured in a roundabout accident and fault is being disputed, call Smith Law Center at (757) 244-7000 for a free consultation. Our attorneys have been handling Virginia auto accident claims since 1949 and can help you protect your right to compensation.

Who Has the Right-of-Way in a Virginia Roundabout?

Virginia law generally requires drivers entering a roundabout to yield to vehicles already traveling in it. Common causes of these accidents include a driver who:

• Enters without yielding to a vehicle already in the roundabout;
• Crosses into another lane while traveling through the circle;
• Cuts across another vehicle’s path while trying to exit;
• Follows too closely and hits a vehicle slowing or stopped at the yield line; or
• Speeds through the roundabout.

Speed can affect right-of-way as well. Virginia Code § 46.2-823 states that a driver traveling at an unlawful speed forfeits a right-of-way they otherwise would have had. That means being inside the roundabout first may not settle the issue if speeding contributed to the collision.

The location of the impact can help explain which rule applies. If another vehicle hits you as it enters the circle, failure to yield will be a major issue. A sideswipe between two vehicles already circulating may point to a lane change, while a crash near an exit may involve a driver crossing another vehicle’s path.

Where Your Car Was Hit Can Help Show What Happened

When you and the other driver give different accounts of the accident, the damage to the vehicles provides another way to piece together the collision.

Damage along the side of your car could support your account that another vehicle entered and struck you after you were already passing the entrance. Scraping along the sides of both cars may be consistent with one vehicle crossing a lane. The location and angle of the damage can also be compared with the police diagram and the drivers’ descriptions.

For roundabout accident fault, Smith Law Center may review:

• Damage to both vehicles, including the apparent point of initial impact;
• Dashcam, traffic, or nearby surveillance footage that captured the vehicles;
• Witness accounts from people who saw the collision;
• The police report and crash diagram;
• Lane arrows, yield lines, and signs at that particular roundabout; and
• The entrance and intended exit for each driver.

Smith Law Center has handled more than 90,000 cases, including serious Virginia auto accident claims where responsibility for the collision was contested. For a roundabout crash, the attorneys can use the physical evidence, roadway layout, witness accounts, and available video to establish how the vehicles came together and who had the right-of-way.

Did the Other Driver Cross Into Your Lane?

When both vehicles were already inside a multi-lane roundabout, fault may come down to which driver moved out of their lane.

A driver may cross into the path of a vehicle beside them while trying to reach an exit. After a sideswipe, the damage, lane markings, video, and witness accounts can help establish where each car was before impact.

Multi-lane roundabouts can have different signs, arrows, and lane assignments depending on the exits they serve. Looking at the markings at the crash location can show which movements were permitted from each lane. That becomes particularly useful when both drivers claim the other vehicle crossed the line.

Why Is the Insurance Adjuster Asking About Your Driving?

Virginia’s contributory negligence rule gives the insurance company a reason to examine your actions closely. If your own negligence contributed to causing the collision, you can be barred from recovering compensation.

The adjuster may focus on whether you:

• Were speeding through the roundabout;
• Changed lanes before the collision;
• Followed the markings for your intended exit;
• Had time and distance to brake; or
• Entered when another vehicle had the right-of-way.

An insurer may accept that its driver entered without yielding and argue that your speed also contributed to the crash. After a lane-change collision, it may claim both vehicles moved toward the same lane.

For someone searching roundabout accident who is at fault, this is one of the biggest concerns in Virginia. The insurer does not need to place all of the blame on you for contributory negligence to become an issue in your injury claim.

Smith Law Center has decades of experience handling Virginia auto accident claims and understands how contributory negligence can affect an injured driver’s ability to recover. If an insurer is trying to place some of the fault on you, call (757) 244-7000 for a free consultation.

The Other Driver Got a Ticket. Can Their Insurer Still Blame You?

Yes. A citation for failing to yield, making an improper lane change, or another traffic violation provides information about what the responding officer believed happened. The insurance company will still investigate the accident before deciding whether to accept liability.

The police report itself may include:

• Witness names and statements;
• A diagram of the collision;
• Statements from both drivers;
• The location of vehicle damage; and
• The officer’s observations at the scene.

The officer may not have witnessed the crash, so the report often combines information gathered after the collision. Smith Law Center can review the report alongside the vehicle damage, photographs, video, witness accounts, and roadway markings to build a fuller picture of what happened.

What If You Hit Your Head in the Crash?

A roundabout collision can cause a head injury even when the vehicles were not traveling at highway speeds. Your head may strike the window, headrest, door frame, or another part of the vehicle during impact.

Symptoms of a traumatic brain injury can include:

• Headaches or dizziness;
• Memory or concentration problems;
• Nausea;
• Sensitivity to light or noise;
• Changes in sleep; or
• Changes in mood or behavior.

Brain injury cases are a significant part of Smith Law Center’s practice. Our firm’s reported results include a $7.5 million Hampton jury award for a woman who suffered a brain injury in a car accident and a $4.75 million recovery for a school librarian who suffered a traumatic brain injury in an auto wreck.

If symptoms appear after you leave the scene, tell your medical provider about the accident and what you are experiencing. Your medical records will help connect the symptoms and treatment to the collision if the insurance company later disputes your injuries.

Is the Insurance Company Blaming You for a Roundabout Accident?

When who is at fault in a roundabout accident is disputed, the insurer may focus on your speed, lane position, or reaction to the other driver. In Virginia, an allegation that you contributed to the collision can put your ability to recover compensation at risk.

Smith Law Center is a multi-generational Virginia personal injury firm that has represented injured people since 1949. We have recovered more than $1 billion for clients and handled more than 90,000 cases, including serious auto accident and traumatic brain injury claims.

If another driver’s insurance company is blaming you for a roundabout collision, call Smith Law Center at (757) 244-7000 for a free consultation. You pay no attorney’s fee unless our firm recovers compensation for you.