First accident in 12 years — got tagged making a left turn and now I'm the bad guy?

This is almost identical to what happened to me a couple years back. Left turn, I thought I had the gap, someone accelerated hard from behind a larger vehicle I couldn't see around. I got the ticket too. What I'll say is — the ticket and the insurance fault determination are two separate battles. Don't assume one automatically decides the other, especially if you end up needing to pursue anything for your injuries.

Be really careful what you say to the other driver's insurance company right now. Like, don't volunteer anything beyond the basics. Adjusters are good at getting you to say things that cement fault in ways that close doors for you later. You don't have to be rude — just short. 'I'm still gathering information' is a complete sentence.

I used to work claims and honestly, left-turn accidents almost always get defaulted to the turning driver in the first pass because the liability framework is pretty rigid. But 'first pass' isn't always the final word. If there's any witness statement, traffic cam footage, or even the damage patterns on the vehicles suggesting the other car was going well above the speed limit, that can shift the picture. Worth asking whether any of that was ever actually looked at.

Hey — can I ask how you're doing physically? Cracked ribs are no joke, and a lot of people underestimate the recovery. Breathing deeply hurts, sleeping hurts, sneezing is basically a nightmare. Please make sure you're following up with your doctor consistently and documenting every appointment. That paper trail matters more than people realize if your case goes anywhere.

Not legal advice, but the combination of a non-deployment airbag and cracked ribs is actually something an attorney would probably want to look at. Airbag failures can open a separate line of inquiry beyond just the fault question. If you haven't at least had a free consult with a PI lawyer, it might be worth an hour of your time before you sign or settle anything. Most won't charge for that initial conversation.

Dashcam. Yes, you know, you already bought one. But also — get your hands on any intersection camera footage ASAP if you haven't already. Cities often overwrite that footage within 30 days. If there's any chance of contesting the speed of that other car, that window is closing fast.

Genuine question: was the pickup actually stopped or just slowing? Because if it was still moving when you initiated the turn that might complicate the 'I had a clear gap' argument. Not trying to pile on — just thinking about how the other side is probably going to frame it.