[wagonman76]

From what Ive understood:

#1 would be your fault if they broadsided you, but their fault if they rearended you. They say that by the time someone gets out far enough to straighten out, its enough time for the other one to have seen it coming and slow down or stop. I know, it doesnt always work that way.

There was one exception I know of around here (Traverse City), some guy was going over 70 in a 45 zone in his SUV, around a corner, and broadsided a car of kids pulling out of the mall. Dont remember if he killed them or hurt them real bad, but authorities came back and gave him a short jail sentence, after pulling the black box in his SUV and getting the info.

There was this time too that my mom was in a similar situation, she got broadsided by a kid going WAY over the 35 mph limit while she was turning left. His small car spun her extended cab pickup right around, he hit her that hard. Ended up her fault, probably since she didnt get hurt much at all.

#2 would have been your fault since you had to be the one to merge. Thats one thing that ticks me off sometimes too, a lot of the damn tourists gun it and try to block you as you try to merge back in from a passing lane. Whats worse is that Michigan signs always read "lane ends, merge left". So the speeders in the passing lane get the right of way, and its up to the law abiding people in the right lane to find a way to get into their lane. Its a passing lane that comes and goes, so why isnt it the passing lane that ends?

At least nothing really happened.