Freeway accident

[locogringo]

So, let’s say there’s someone you know that this happened to today.

Driving on freeway. Flow of traffic is about 65.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, guy in front of this “someone I know” slams on his brakes “full tilt”.

This person I know did the same.

Middle driver hits the car in front of him. The “someone I know” hits his bumper because there just wasn’t enough time to stop with how abruptly he slammed his brakes on.

The last cars impact with middle car doesn’t cause middle car to hit front car again either.

I’m assuming last car, that had zero chance of stopping because of how abruptly middle car “late braked” is still liable for the rear ended damage of middle car?

Is there any way the last driver would not be at fault, or at 50% or less at fault?

Guy got out of middle car and apologized for slamming on his brakes so late and said he didn’t think the guy in front of him was braking.

Thoughts???

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

If you rear ended someone it’s yore fault.

 

[Bpracing1127]

Nope 0 chance

 

[throttle]

no, "someone you know" may have been following too closely at a rate of speed that didn't allow reaction time and safe braking distance before hitting someone they didn't want to meet.

take two advil and ck back in two weeks. hope everyone is ok.

 

[beerrun]

Sounds like an insurance scam

 

[DMF]

Your screwed.

 

[ChumpChange]

Did the first person slam on his brakes because he was coming up on a car or something else?

 

[FlyByWire]

One crash event, 2 party’s found ‘at fault’ if it happened exactly the way you describe it.

 

[lbhsbz]

Slamming on the brakes when everything is moving along a nicely for no fucking reason is not legal…the problem is proving it.

I can’t go out and do that and make the guy that caused to hit me buy me a new car and sue him for all he’s worth because my back hurts….at least I shouldn’t be able to…maybe in this new world we live in this kinda shit will fly.

 

[76 Hondo]

If you rear ended someone it’s yore fault.

Not always!
I rear ended a car my bumper stopped at his rear window, launched him through a street light. I was in the right lane guy came from middle lane and tried to turn into a gas station. Cop wrote on the report excess speed before talking to me, I lit him up, I had a witness that gave me her info. She had to leave the scene. My insurance guy calls me the next week, you are the luckiest SOB, your witness is a fraud investigator for the State, and she said you never had a chance with move he made.

 

[EarpRider]

Last driver is screwed for sure - 22350 V.C., going to fast to stop.

 

[DLow]

I’ve been in this situation. I was the middle car of three car wreck. Guy in front of me stopped fast, I stopped fast, guy behind me didn’t. Pushed me into the guy in front of me. Guy behind me had the amazing opportunity to have his insurance pay for the damage to all three cars. Super fun.

 

[TITTIES AND BEER]

It’s California get out shooting

 

[locogringo]

Did the first person slam on his brakes because he was coming up on a car or something else?

Not sure

 

[was thatguy]

I slammed on the brakes once when a dog ran in front of me.
5 cars piled up into each other behind me. My old beater blazer barely got the bumper bent but some of the cars were totaled.
Each cars insurance paid the car in front of them.
Cops just scratched their heads. No citations.
A lady gave witness that there really was a dog.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Not always!
I rear ended a car my bumper stopped at his rear window, launched him through a street light. I was in the right lane guy came from middle lane and tried to turn into a gas station. Cop wrote on the report excess speed before talking to me, I lit him up, I had a witness that gave me her info. She had to leave the scene. My insurance guy calls me the next week, you are the luckiest SOB, your witness is a fraud investigator for the State, and she said you never had a chance with move he made.

Tell that to the cops in the Officer Doofy thread

 

[Willie B]

… The third car guy…his insurance company will most likely just pay the two cars in front …they don’t wanna hassle going to court with a jury trial etc…
… if it is a set up…His insurance will still pay both property damage and personal injury…
…Became good friends with the lead attorney for 20th century insurance company a few years ago as I sat in her office and we talked about rock ‘n’ roll …white powder in the nose and all kinds of interesting stuff…

 

[CLdrinker]

Well cops in Utah can make a U turn in front of you so you hit them. And that has been deemed your fault as well.
so a straight up rear end yes 100% your friends fault.

 

[Maestro]

This is why people have some type of camera system to record the accident. Ain't no thibbing allowed.

 

[Happy Smitty]

State the facts and let the insurance companies sort it out.

 

[HOOTER SLED-]

Next time leave more of a space cushion ya dummy...

 

[f12517]

The middle guy is 100% at fault for the rear end damages of the car he hit. If he can prove he only the middle car. The fact the first car said they didn't feel a second impact actually works against your "friend". Insurance will basically assume that if lead driver says he felt only one impact that the last car pushed the middle car into the first car. Unless the middle driver cops to hitting the first car before he was rear ended by the last car. If the middle driver wises up your "friend" might get put on the hook 100% for ALL of it. Sucks, but he's at the mercy of the middle guy, or witnesses. The only other chance to prove it is if the rear end damages to the second car are significantly lighter (like basically no damage) than the front damage to the middle car, your "friend" might have a chance if he has a sharp insurance adjuster who is willing to fight the other carriers for partial liability. I was an insurance claims adjuster in a previous life...

 

[boatpi]

22109vc unsafe stopping or slowing with that first given a signal, A real bad brake check falls into this category.

 

[69 1/2]

I hit a guy from behind once in Illinois and the knucklehead still had the ball mount and ball in his Receiver hitch. Tore up my grille and ac radiator. Cop sited him for improper equipment and his insurance paid for my damages. Now living out west I see this WAY more.

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

If you take it up the ass its always their fault even if you drive like a dick and slammed on your breaks for no reason.

 

[ChumpChange]

If you take it up the ass its always their fault even if you drive like a dick and slammed on your breaks for no reason.

Not true. Drivers are given an assumption on the road that a car can’t just stop for no reason. They have the right to presume that the first car is going to drive a certain way. Unfortunately it doesn’t appear that they’re gonna have proof that they didn’t stop fir a reason unless the driver just says he felt like slamming the brakes for no reason.

 

[stephenkatsea]

Speed about 30 in a 35. The vehicle in front of me made a sudden abrupt stop. I slammed on my brakes. Barely touched one tail light on the vehicle in front of me. But, it was enough to break it. I was given a ticket for “failure to maintain control of my vehicle”. I took it to court and it was taken off my driving record.

 

[Backlash]

Regardless of what was going on two or three cars in front of your friend, they are still responsible for driving in a safe manner. If they are unable to slow down safely, it could be argued that they were following too closely.

 

[locogringo]

… The third car guy…his insurance company will most likely just pay the two cars in front …they don’t wanna hassle going to court with a jury trial etc…
… if it is a set up…His insurance will still pay both property damage and personal injury…
…Became good friends with the lead attorney for 20th century insurance company a few years ago as I sat in her office and we talked about rock ‘n’ roll …white powder in the nose and all kinds of interesting stuff[emoji56]…

The accident caused by our car (last car) didn’t cause the middle driver to hit the front driver. He had already hit the front driver already and didn’t contact him again when our car hit the middle car.

Police report was taken and all three parties said the same thing.

 

[locogringo]

Next time leave more of a space cushion ya dummy...[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

Lol. True that, but from 65 to dead stop can be hard to avoid when there’s a big truck in front of you.

 

[locogringo]

The middle guy is 100% at fault for the rear end damages of the car he hit. If he can prove he only the middle car. The fact the first car said they didn't feel a second impact actually works against your "friend". Insurance will basically assume that if lead driver says he felt only one impact that the last car pushed the middle car into the first car. Unless the middle driver cops to hitting the first car before he was rear ended by the last car. If the middle driver wises up your "friend" might get put on the hook 100% for ALL of it. Sucks, but he's at the mercy of the middle guy, or witnesses. The only other chance to prove it is if the rear end damages to the second car are significantly lighter (like basically no damage) than the front damage to the middle car, your "friend" might have a chance if he has a sharp insurance adjuster who is willing to fight the other carriers for partial liability. I was an insurance claims adjuster in a previous life...

Police report was taken that states front car only hit once, which is what all three parties stated to officer.

 

[rivermobster]

This happen to someone know years ago...

It took years to get resolved. And, one of the driver's (I think the rear) canceled their insurance policy a year or so after the accident.

Can't remember how it ended up, but I know it was a nightmare for everyone involved.

 

[PlumLoco]

A long time ago on the 91 at Van Buren I was the front car in a chain of five. F250 driver didn't stop when every one else did, and pushed us all together. We all pulled to the side to wait for CHP. Lady in the middle says she just "has to call her son" and walks up the offramp leaving the scene. She never came back and cops found her Civic littered with empty beer cans. F250 driver took all the blame and I assume everyone got paid off. I was driving a Dodge Rampage (with a turbo Shelby motor) that belonged to a friend from out of state. It wasn't insured but he had a few extra tailgates so it was not a big deal. Man that was a fun car to drive.

 

[BajaT]

Had to adjust an insurance claim back in the day where our driver slammed on brakes on freeway interchange as she did not want to run over a squirrel. I recall my supervisor stating you stop for dogs, run over cats! Car behind her should have followed at a safer distance but she also impeded traffic as she slammed on brakes for "no reason". Settled 50-50 with other driver/insurance company.

 

[Tooms22]

Police report was taken that states front car only hit once, which is what all three parties stated to officer.

It depends how detailed the police report is. If the front #1 driver states one impact, it could be assumed that back driver #3 pushed #2 into #1. If driver #1 states two impacts, it usually means #2 hit #1 and then #3 hit #2, causing contact between #1 and #2 again.

 

[attitude]

I hit a guy from behind once in Illinois and the knucklehead still had the ball mount and ball in his Receiver hitch. Tore up my grille and ac radiator. Cop sited him for improper equipment and his insurance paid for my damages. Now living out west I see this WAY more.

I had a guy rear end my truck about a year ago, no damage thanks to my hitch. He took off when I pulled into the nearest parking lot, I’ll take my chances…

 

[lakemadness]

I’ve been in this situation. I was the middle car of three car wreck. Guy in front of me stopped fast, I stopped fast, guy behind me didn’t. Pushed me into the guy in front of me. Guy behind me had the amazing opportunity to have his insurance pay for the damage to all three cars. Super fun.

Same exact thing happened to me, I was middle car too. The rear guy covered my car and the one in front of me.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Driving while Asian.... seriously, be careful on the 210 fwy next to foothills. They hit brakes for no reason.

 

[OC Mike]

Superintendant was driving a company truck on 57. Car slams on brakes, he barely taps the bumper. Guy gets out and says no big deal, they don't exchange info and drives off. 2 weeks later company gets served for 250k.. Company name was on side of truck.


Several years later on the 57, a car flys by me on left crosses in front over to the lane on the right and slows way down.
i'm watching the mirror and see all the traffic slowing way down. Nothing happens, so he nails it, flys by me on the right staring at me and disappears in the traffic ahead. F...ing dirtbag......

 

[bilz]

Nearly every story that starts with "the car in front of me slammed on his brakes" is usually told by someone that was following to close and not being attentive. My industry "the yellow was too short". Yes there is insurance fraud, brake checks, the occasional squirrel rarely a "short yellow". Most of the time it is operator error. Twenty years of employees telling stories of the ever popular SLAM. Cell phones down, eyes on the road, hands on the wheel I'm retired now and don't need to meet people from behind.

 

[HubbaHubbaLife]

Nearly every story that starts with "the car in front of me slammed on his brakes" is usually told by someone that was following to close and not being attentive. My industry "the yellow was too short". Yes there is insurance fraud, brake checks, the occasional squirrel rarely a "short yellow". Most of the time it is operator error. Twenty years of employees telling stories of the ever popular SLAM. Cell phones down, eyes on the road, hands on the wheel I'm retired now and don't need to meet people from behind.

Yup, you're right.... I've driven company vehicles entire career and have to take behind the wheel training and classroom each year.... following too closely is a biggy.