Subject: Rear Door Damage After Merging Incident
I was merging to the left with my turn signal activated since my lane was ending due to construction. As traffic in front of me was slow, we were performing a zipper merge, and it was my turn to move over.
I checked my mirrors and noticed the truck behind me had stopped, giving me a safe gap to merge into. Just seconds after I’d successfully switched to the left lane, a pickup truck behind me bumped into my rear door on the driver’s side, causing a scratch and dent. It seems like the driver either didn’t see me or wasn’t paying attention.
I know that the merging driver is often considered at fault in these situations, but I’m questioning whether this was truly my fault.
Here’s the damage to my car: [link to image]
And here’s the pickup truck that hit me: [link to image]
I’m sorry to hear about your situation; that sounds really frustrating. From what you’ve described, it seems like you took the proper precautions by using your turn signal and checking your mirrors before merging. If you confirmed that the truck behind you had stopped and you safely moved into the adjacent lane, it’s possible that the driver of the pickup truck was at fault for not paying attention.
In many jurisdictions, the merging driver is typically held responsible if they were careless or didn’t check for oncoming traffic. However, since you indicated that there was a safe gap and you followed the proper merging procedures, you may have a case for shared responsibility or possibly even none at all.
It may be beneficial to gather all relevant information, including any witnesses, dashcam footage, or photos of the scene and damage. You should consider reaching out to your insurance company to report the incident and discuss your options going forward. They might help clarify fault based on their policies and local traffic laws. I hope you can get everything sorted out soon!