Driver Who Had Right of Way But Allowed Another Driver to Turn Can Be Liable to Motorist Struck by Turning Car​

The defendant stopped in the roadway when she had the right of way and gestured to an on-coming driver to make a left turn in front of her.  Plaintiff passed the defendant on the right and collided with the car making the turn.  The Third Department determined defendant’s motion for summary judgment should not have been granted:

When one driver chooses to gratuitously signal to another person, indicating that it is safe to proceed or that the signaling driver will yield the right-of-way, the signaling driver assumes a duty to do so reasonably under the circumstances; this duty is owed to pedestrians and other motorists and passengers as well as to the person who is being signaled … .  Dolce v Sheridan, 515766, 3rd Dept, 5-30-13

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