The last thing you expect as a driver is the shock and surprise of a car accident. If the accident you were involved in happened at an intersection and the other driver was making a right-hand turn, you might be confused about who is at fault for the accident. If you were traveling straight through an intersection and another car on the cross street was turning right, the situation can create confusion since both drivers may feel as if they had the right of way.

In the state of Georgia, a driver is permitted to turn right when the traffic light is red. The state’s traffic laws only make this kind of turn legal and permissible if the driver attempting the right turn comes to a complete stop first, gives the right of way to any approaching traffic or pedestrians, and ensures it is safe to complete the right turn.

If the driver who hit your car did not meet all the above criteria, he might be deemed responsible for causing the accident. If you need help determining fault and holding the at-fault driver and their insurance company responsible for your injuries, speak to a failure to yield lawyer as soon as possible.

Making a Right Turn Safely

Because it is permissible to make a right turn even if the traffic signal is red, many drivers can confuse the timing of such a turn. The law makes turning right while driving your car as safe as possible if the following rules of the road are observed by each driver:

  • The vehicle driver makes their turn from the right-most lane of the road.
  • The vehicle driver yields the right of way to pedestrians.
  • The vehicle driver yields the right of way to traffic traveling in a straight line through the intersection.

Were you or a member of your family injured in a car accident by a driver who was making a right turn? Did the driver making the right turn neglect to yield the right of way or carefully scrutinize the road to make sure their turn into traffic would be safe?


If you can answer yes to one or both of these questions, you may have the basis for a lawsuit or insurance claim that holds the other driver at fault for an accident involving a driver turning right. An attorney can help you determine whether or not the other driver and their insurer should compensate you for your damage and loss.

Determining the Right of Way on Georgia’s Roads

Making a right turn usually involves yielding the right of way to other vehicles in the road. If a driver is attempting a right turn when the traffic light is red, this is especially true—and particularly important. When your traffic light is red, the other traffic light at the intersection is green and those drivers may be traveling straight through the intersection without stopping.

When you have the legal right of way, you are permitted to enter traffic, change lanes, turn, or proceed through an intersection. State laws make yielding the right of way in certain situations a requirement in order to keep the roads orderly and safe for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcycle riders.

The following laws make the right of way easy to understand. In turn, disobeying these laws makes it easier to determine the fault for an accident involving a driver turning right.

  • A driver must stop at a posted stop sign when the approaching traffic does not have a stop sign.
  • A driver at an intersection with no traffic signs at all must yield to the driver on their right.
  • At an intersection where all corners have a posted stop sign, each driver must yield to the driver who approached their stop sign first or to the driver to their right.

In all cases, each driver must proceed into traffic only when they deem it safe to do so. This could mean you might be forced to relinquish the right of way even when you are legally entitled to it in order to avoid or prevent a car accident.

Get the Help You Need From a Lawyer Near You

If you were involved in an accident where the other driver was at fault, you may be able to recover the financial costs of your injuries and other accident-related expenses.

You deserve compensation while you recover from your injuries and prepare to return to work and support your family. If you believe that fault for an accident involving a driver turning right is on the other involved party, speak to an attorney near you today by calling S. Burke Law at (404) 842-7838.