That is what the Palm Beach Sheriff's office has concluded in the accident involving Venus Williams and another couple in which the male died in a hospital. So, sorry ambulance chasers, you lost big on those $$millions you wanted. Now it is just Florida PIP taking care of that couple.
Venus appears to have been in the intersection legally, as she had a green light before being forced to stop. This is a complicated intersection with many lanes. The car that struck her also entered the intersection legally. I'd like to know the other vehicle's speed at impact. (My impression is the the other driver may have been driving at a high rate of speed & oblivious to the other traffic BUT it is a complicared multilane intersection.) There is video from traffic cams too.
We don't have all the data. I'd like to see the accident reconstructed... and I'm sure the court will. I suspect that there is blame on both sides... and ought to be a wash. It was truely an unfortunate accident. But in our litigious society, they will go after whoever has the deepest pockets.
with the occupant who died was only going 5 MPH. Seems very odd that an injury, even impact to the head, at that speed could cause death, but whatever.
In my state (MA), there are two principles that would have dictated fault here. One is that you can not enter an intersection no matter what the signal says unless it is safe to do so. This could fall on both Venus and the other driver.
The other is that you are responsible for the front of your car, which is on the other driver.
Also, I have not heard of any action against the car that took the left turn that caused Venus to stop suddently. Given that those making a left turn are to yield to oncoming traffic, that would seem to put them at fault as the "but for" cause of the whole mishmash. Yet, I've heard nothing about that. Did that driver even stop?
(still not a lawyer)
As I see the lanes... there were 5 lanes in the direction of travel (of the other car that T boned SW SUV). The center most was a Left turn lane, 3 straight through lanes, & a Right turn lane. The Hundai (other car) was in the lane next to the right turn lane... the furthest ofthe straight through lanes.
Persumeably the same number of lanes in the opposite direction.
I've never actually seen an intersection with so many lanes.
https:/ /www.nytimes.com/2017/07/07/sports/tennis/venus-williams-evidence-fatal-crash.html
does not give anyone the right to mow down anyone in front of them. Pedestrians, bicyclists, little old ladies in walkers... who may be caught on a change of lights. I would really like to know if the other driver was really focused on the intersection. However, with so many lanes... the other driver's vision might easily have been blocked?