Police report says I failed to yield but the intersection camera tells a different story??

Oh my gosh I could have written this myself six months ago. I had a nearly identical situation — report said I was at fault for a turn, but a nearby business camera showed I had plenty of clearance and the other car ran a late yellow. The footage absolutely mattered. My attorney used it to get the report amended. Don't give up on that video.

Please be really careful about talking to the other driver's insurance right now. If they've already seen that police report, they are going to lean on that "failure to yield" language HARD to lowball you or deny the claim outright. Don't give them a recorded statement until you've at least talked to someone who knows what they're doing. That report is a gift to their adjusters and they know it.

Former adjuster here. Honestly, "failure to yield" on a left turn is kind of a default call for a lot of officers — it's the path of least resistance when they didn't witness the accident themselves. It does NOT mean you're automatically liable, and it does NOT mean the claim is closed. I've seen plenty of cases where camera footage completely overrode what was in the initial report. Preserve that footage in multiple places — cloud, hard drive, email it to yourself. Footage disappears.

A few things worth knowing: police reports aren't automatically admissible as proof of fault in most states — they're just one piece of evidence. An attorney can sometimes request a report amendment directly with the department if there's clear contradicting evidence like your camera footage. Also, the "unknown" checkbox on distracted driving just means the officer didn't observe it — it's not an accusation. That part I wouldn't stress about too much. The "failure to yield" notation is the one worth fighting.

Just want to say — please keep going to that physical therapy and don't skip appointments even when life gets busy with all this legal stuff. Neck and shoulder injuries from collisions can seem manageable and then sneak up on you weeks later. Your consistency in treatment also creates a paper trail that matters if this turns into a claim for your injuries. Take care of yourself first.

Get a lawyer. Today if possible. You have footage, documented injuries, and a police report that contradicts the video. That's actually a pretty workable situation — but only if someone who knows how to use those things is in your corner. Don't try to negotiate this yourself with the insurance company, especially with that report hanging over you.

Not doubting you, but genuine question — does the footage clearly show you were stopped before initiating the turn, or does it show you were already partway through the intersection when the other car came? Because those two scenarios read very differently to an insurance company or a judge. If the video is as clear as you're describing, that's great. But make sure you're reading it the same way a neutral third party would.

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this on top of recovering physically. It sounds incredibly frustrating to feel like the official record just got it wrong. Sending you patience — this stuff takes forever but it sounds like you have real evidence on your side.

The fact that you found that footage is actually huge. A lot of people in your situation never think to look, or they look too late and it's been overwritten. You're already ahead of where most people are at this stage. That video could genuinely change everything here.