Originally Posted by
Kommisar89
If I read your description of the incident in question correctly however, you might have more trouble with legal compensation. From the sound of it, you were passing on the right side of the SUV who presumably was in the right lane preparing to make a right turn. The driver in the oncoming lane who was turning left could not have anticipated that a bicycle would come sprinting out of the right side of the road past the SUV and so proceded with his left turn. And you ran into him. I'm guessing the law is going to say you were at fault.
Hmm. If there's an SUV in the right lane slowing to make a right turn, then the guy making a left from the other direction did not have the right-of-way. Where I come from, you don't make a left until all the oncoming lanes are clear -- and that includes vehicles about to make a turn, that you might interfere with. Presence of an overtaking cyclist complicates this, of course, with all that "cyclist must keep right" motor-vehicle-centric crap, it just puts the cyclist in a bad situation. But the cyclist is a vehicle, no matter -- Mr Left Turn has the onus to be sure that the oncoming lanes are clear.
If Nick sped past Mr Right Turn right at the intersection, then that's a trick that I'd rather he didn't repeat -- too many bad things can result from that. But I'd still argue that he had the right-of-way.
I hope you've avoided any damage, Nick -- the bike is not nearly so important.