Left-Turn Accidents in Georgia: What Happens When Both Drivers Claim a Green Light?

Two cars collide in an intersection, and each driver insists the light was green. Both may be telling the truth. Opposing drivers can see circular green signals at once, so the question is often who had to yield.

Why Two Green Lights Can Both Be Real

Georgia Code Title 40, Chapter 6, Article 2 gives each signal a left-turning driver may face a different meaning:

• A circular green permits a left turn, subject to yielding.
• A green arrow authorizes the turn, but drivers must still yield to traffic lawfully in the intersection.
• A flashing yellow arrow permits a turn only after yielding to approaching vehicles and pedestrians.
• A red arrow prohibits the turn.

Georgia Code Title 40, Chapter 6, Article 4 makes left-turning drivers yield to oncoming vehicles inside the intersection or close enough to pose a hazard.

How Courts Treat Competing Accounts

In Oduok v. State, a turning driver claimed a green arrow, while the other driver said she had a green light going straight. A jury convicted the turning driver of failing to yield. The Court of Appeals affirmed, holding that the yielding rule applies at signal-controlled intersections and that resolving conflicting testimony was the jury’s job.

Liability is not automatic either. In Dubberly v. Cooper, two lanes of drivers waved a woman through a left turn, but a car in the third lane hit her. The jury found for the turning driver, and the court affirmed, explaining that whether she knew or should have known of the approaching vehicle was a fact question. An oncoming driver who ran a red or sped may share blame.

Preserve Evidence Before It Disappears

Useful evidence includes:

• Surveillance and dashcam footage
• Signal timing records, though these may not prove the color displayed at impact
• Witness statements and vehicle event data
• Crash-scene photographs and the police report

Tickets don’t settle civil fault. In Hite v. Anderson, the court found that paying a fine without proof of an admission did not conclusively establish negligence. Title 51, Chapter 12 cuts damages by fault share and bars recovery at 50%, while Title 9, Chapter 3 generally allows two years to sue.

At Morris & Dean, we can pull footage and records, weigh fault, and map your options. If the other driver disputes the signal, reach out to us or call 706-222-3790.