Unsafe Lane Change on 84 East Caused Accident and Serious Injuries

Unsafe lane changes can cause serious accidents resulting in serious injuries! An unsafe lane change is a Connecticut statute that states on multiple lane highways one must travel in a single lane until it is determined safe to switch lanes. Connecticut highways make this very easy for us by having designated passing lanes, and slow vehicle lanes. There is a section of the 84 east highway in Manchester that requires drivers to drive in the far right lines in order to merge on to 384 east or travel in the middle lanes to continue on 84 east. If you travel this area enough you will notice drivers suddenly realizing they are in the wrong lane, and make a spontaneous lane change to either stay on 84, or enter 384. This is as dangerous as it seems! We had a client traveling in the middle lane of 84 east from Hartford to Vernon. Traffic was normal for mid-afternoon, and the weather was not a factor. Suddenly, the driver of a delivery van for a flower company realized he needed to get over to the 384 lanes. In the process of his quick lane changes, he hit the back end of our client’s car. The impact was so hard that the hood of the van flew opened! The police arrived and had to stop traffic in order to move the two vehicles. Both vehicles were heavily damaged and needed to be towed from the scene. The drivers were taken by ambulance to area hospitals. The officer concluded that the driver of the van made an unsafe lane change and is therefore at fault for the crash. The driver was issued an infraction for CGS 14-236.

If you have been involved in a car accident on a Connecticut highway, it is important to seek experienced legal guidance so that your claim can be assessed fully with your individual situation taken into account. Click here to contact one of our Board Certified Trial Attorneys.