Casper Left Turn Motorcycle Accident: Who's at Fault When a Driver Turns Across Your Path

TL;DR - Key Takeaways

• In a Casper left turn motorcycle accident, W.S. § 31-5-221 requires the turning driver to yield to any oncoming vehicle in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard.
• W.S. § 31-5-217 prohibits any turn that can't be made with reasonable safety and requires a continuous signal for at least the last 100 feet before the turn.
• Every motorcycle is entitled to full use of a lane under W.S. § 31-5-115(e), so riding in any part of your lane is lawful.
• Under W.S. § 1-1-109, you can recover if your fault is not more than 50% of the total fault of all actors. Your award is reduced by your percentage.
• Injury lawsuits must be filed within four years under W.S. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C), and wrongful death actions within two years after the death under W.S. § 1-38-102(d).

You're riding through a green light on CY Avenue or East Second Street when an oncoming driver turns left across your lane. In 2024, NHTSA's motorcycle crash data counted 3,396 fatal crashes involving a motorcycle and one other vehicle. In 45 percent of them, the other vehicle was turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking. A 2023 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study of 2017 to 2021 crashes found this crash type was by far the most frequent kind of fatal two-vehicle motorcycle crash.

In our Casper left turn motorcycle accident cases at Metier Motorcycle Lawyers, the turning driver's insurer asks about the rider's speed, visibility, and lane position first. "Wyoming law puts the yield duty on the driver making the left turn," says Patrick DiBenedetto, Partner at Metier Law Firm and a rider himself. "When an adjuster starts with the rider's speed, we go to the question the statute asks. Where was the motorcycle when that turn started? If it was close enough to be an immediate hazard, the driver had to wait."

Wyoming's Left Turn Yield Law Under W.S. § 31-5-221

Under W.S. § 31-5-221, a driver turning left must yield the right-of-way to any oncoming vehicle in the intersection or so close to it as to be an immediate hazard. That one sentence is the Wyoming left turn yield law, and it protects motorcycles like any other oncoming vehicle. The test is where your motorcycle was when the driver started the turn. The statute doesn't ask which vehicle reached the intersection first.

Safe Turns and the 100-Foot Signal Rule

W.S. § 31-5-217(a) prohibits a turn until the movement can be made with reasonable safety, and it requires an appropriate signal. Subsection (b) adds that a required turn signal must run continuously for at least the last 100 feet before the turn. A driver who signaled late, or never signaled, violated a second statute in the same maneuver.

Who Is at Fault in a Casper Left Turn Motorcycle Accident?

Fault is decided on the evidence. After an intersection motorcycle crash in Casper, we move to secure:

• Final rest positions, debris, and gouge marks that fix the point of impact
• Signal timing records for a controlled intersection
• Dashcam and business video along CY Avenue, East Second Street, and Wyoming Boulevard
• The crash report from the Casper Police Department, Natrona County Sheriff's Office, or Wyoming Highway Patrol
• Witness contact information
• Event data recorder information from the turning vehicle

NHTSA's safety reminders for drivers warn that a motorcycle's size and narrow profile can make its distance and speed hard to judge. They tell drivers to take extra care in timing a turn. A driver who misjudged your speed still failed to yield if your motorcycle was an immediate hazard.

Lane Position and Wyoming's Full-Lane Rule

When a driver turned in front of a motorcycle, the next argument we see is lane position. W.S. § 31-5-115(e) gives every motorcycle full use of a lane. No motor vehicle can be driven in a way that deprives a motorcycle of that use. A rider in the left portion of the lane is using space the statute gives them.

Subsection (g) of the same statute prohibits operating a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent rows of vehicles. Riding between stopped cars when the turn happened gives the insurer a fault argument. Subsection (p) requires a motorcycle's headlamp to be on at all times, including daylight hours. WYDOT's summary of Wyoming motorcycle laws lists the same lane rules. If your headlamp was on and you held a lawful lane position, a driver's claim that they never saw you doesn't satisfy the yield duty.

If you've been hurt in a motorcycle crash and need answers, call us at 833-4-MOTO-LAW (833-466-8652) or schedule a free consultation at www.metierlaw.com.

How Wyoming Comparative Fault Affects a Left Turn Claim

W.S. § 1-1-109(b) lets you recover if your fault is not more than 50% of the total fault of all actors. Your damages go down by your share. Subsection (a)(i) defines an actor as any person or entity, including you, whose fault is a proximate cause of the injury. That actor doesn't have to be a party to the lawsuit. With $100,000 in damages:

• Rider found 20% at fault: recovers $80,000
• Rider found 50% at fault: recovers $50,000
• Rider found 51% at fault: recovers nothing

Each defendant is liable only for its own share of the total fault under subsection (e). Every percentage point assigned to you, or to someone outside the lawsuit, comes off what the at-fault driver pays. Our guide on how fault works in a Casper motorcycle accident case covers how adjusters try to move those percentages.

You have four years after the cause of action accrues to file an injury lawsuit under W.S. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C). A wrongful death action has a shorter deadline of two years after the death under W.S. § 1-38-102(d). Business video and signal data can be overwritten before either deadline runs. If the turning driver carried no insurance, or not enough to cover your losses, read our post on UM and UIM coverage for Casper motorcycle riders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is at fault in a Casper left turn motorcycle accident?

The left-turning driver is at fault if your motorcycle was in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard when the turn started. That's the yield rule in W.S. § 31-5-221. A judge or jury can still assign part of the fault to you under W.S. § 1-1-109, and your recovery drops by that share.

What does the Wyoming left turn yield law require?

The turning driver must yield the right-of-way to oncoming vehicles in the intersection or so close as to be an immediate hazard under W.S. § 31-5-221. The driver also has to turn with reasonable safety and signal continuously for at least the last 100 feet under W.S. § 31-5-217.

Can the insurer blame my lane position after a driver turned in front of my motorcycle?

The insurer can raise it, but W.S. § 31-5-115(e) entitles every motorcycle to full use of a lane. A lawful lane position doesn't excuse the turning driver's duty to yield under W.S. § 31-5-221.

How long do I have to file a lawsuit after a left turn motorcycle crash in Wyoming?

An injury lawsuit from a Casper left turn motorcycle accident must be filed within four years after the cause of action accrues under W.S. § 1-3-105(a)(iv)(C). For a wrongful death action, the deadline is two years after the death under W.S. § 1-38-102(d).

Can I still recover if I was partly at fault?

Yes, as long as your fault is not more than 50% of the total fault of all actors under W.S. § 1-1-109. Your award drops by your percentage. If your fault is more than 50%, you recover nothing.

When the Turn Came Across Your Lane

We ride Natrona County roads, and we know how fast an oncoming car can fill a lane that was open a second earlier. Under Wyoming law, the turning driver owes the yield duty, and you're entitled to full use of your lane. Fault in a Casper left turn motorcycle accident is decided on evidence, so we send preservation letters for business video and signal records early. Our Casper motorcycle accident lawyer team at Metier Law Firm can review the intersection facts before you give a recorded statement or accept an early offer.

Call Metier Motorcycle Lawyers at 833-4-MOTO-LAW (833-466-8652) or schedule your free consultation today at www.metierlaw.com.

Disclaimer: Past results discussed should not be considered a guarantee of your results as the factors of every case are individually unique. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney from Metier Law Firm regarding your individual situation for legal advice.

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