reckless driving advice wanted

I learned a long time ago, be completely submissive and defensive behind the wheel.
A little old man was slowly rolling along on the shoulder of the merge ramp. appeared to me that he hadn't intended to take the ramp onto the highway and/or disappointed that there was no way down to the Walmart parking lot. 2 other cars went right on past him. When I got to him he had ran out of ramp. I went all the way to the fast lane of the highway before the very end of the ramp. he suddenly came clear across in front of me and stopped with left turn signal on. Yep, I hit him. When we got to court, I had no attorney. His attorney shot down my every statement. Stuff like " He cant read minds and know what my client was thinking". You think the judge asked the little old man if he had made a wrong turn on his way to Walmart ? Hail no. Didn't matter.
So I lost, my insurance fixed his car. Best part of the story, today there is a raised concrete median in the highway and no left turn to that side road allowed.
See, the set up is about the same in that the path to these accidents began a block or more before impact.
We're better off to just take a seat, have some popcorn, enjoy the show those stooped asses are performing. Otherwise we become a player in their show.