As a livery operator, you understand the risks you face on a daily basis. The road is a dangerous place and if you or your drivers are not careful, you may find yourself facing an unexpected accident, or worse, a lawsuit. It is crucial that you look into reliable livery insurance for your company in order to protect all the vehicles in your fleet. It is just as important to understand when you may or may not be at fault if you are involved in an accident.

In Massachusetts there are a handful of possible scenarios in which your fault is presumed to be more than 50%. Let’s start with the top ten:

#1: Collision with a lawfully or unlawfully parked vehicle.

#2: Rear end collision.

#3: Out of lane collision. Whether you are passing another vehicle or changing lanes, you will be held at fault if you are partially or completely out of the proper lane.

#4: Failure to signal. It is crucial to encourage your drivers to use their signals when changing lanes or getting off an exit. Failure to do so may result in an accident and your driver will be more than 50% at fault.

#5: Failure to proceed with due caution from a traffic control signal or sign.

#6: Collision on wrong side of road.

#7: Operating in the wrong direction.

#8: Collision at an uncontrolled intersection. There are three possible scenarios for this collision. First you will be at fault if your vehicle enters a main road from a secondary road. Second, you will be at fault if you enter an intersection from the left at the same time with another vehicle but you fail to allow the vehicle on the right to proceed. Lastly, if you enter the intersection at a point in time later than the other vehicle and continue to collide, you will be at fault.

#9: Collision while in the process of backing up.

#10: Collision while making a left turn or u-turn across the travel path of a vehicle traveling in the same or opposite direction. It is important to always look around and make sure you are clear before pulling a u-turn. Turning left at a light can be dangerous especially when crossing two lanes of traffic. Be sure both oncoming lanes stop before turning left.

If you find yourself or one of your drivers in any of these situations, you will more than likely be at fault. It’s important that your livery company is ready to tackle the worst case scenario. With livery insurance, you can look into automobile insurance, general liability, property insurance and much more. Having the proper policy in place will ensure you a smooth ride, even after an accident. Be sure to visit us at Wolpert Insurance for a free quote and come back next week for Part 2!