Current Events > Who caused the car accident in this scenario?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Car 1 is at a red light and is at the front.
Car 2 is directly behind Car 1.
Car 3 hits Car 2, causing Car 2 to hit Car 1. This is because Car 4 was doing a dangerous maneuver, causing Car 3 to go out of control, hitting Car 2, who in turn hits Car 1.

4

The truck

Insurance: everyone but car 1

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


No. If car 4 didn't collide with anyone insurance will definitely not see it that way.

If you're lucky and a cop was right there watching it happen you could get a judge order car 4's insurance to pay.

Legally, 3 is at fault, since if you can't safely take a maneuver without hitting somebody else, even to avoid an accident, yourself, you're at fault. 4 would potentially have some kind of reckless driving charge or something, if it was caught on tape, but 3 is responsible for the accident.

EDIT: Basically, if car 4 had hit car 3, then car 4 would be at fault. If car 3 does something to avoid being hit by car 4, but then hits somebody, themself, car 3 is entirely at fault for the accident, itself.

StealThisSheen posted...

Legally, 3 is at fault, since if you can't safely take a maneuver without hitting somebody else, even to avoid an accident, yourself, you're at fault. 4 would potentially have some kind of reckless driving charge or something, if it was caught on tape, but 3 is responsible for the accident.

EDIT: Basically, if car 4 had hit car 3, then car 4 would be at fault. If car 3 does something to avoid being hit by car 4, but then hits somebody, themself, car 3 is entirely at fault for the accident, itself.

Car #2 is also at fault because I've literally been car #3 before. (There was no car #4, just bad weather and bad tires and bad friction and bad brakes... too bad)

Tyranthraxus posted...

Car #2 is also at fault because I've literally been car #3 before. (There was no car #4, just bad weather and bad tires and bad friction and bad brakes... too bad)

That can depend on conditions/circumstances. In bad weather, then car 2 would probably be found at fault since it could be argued that they should have stopped with additional space between them and the car in front of them, given the road conditions. If there's nothing complicating it like weather, though, and car 2 only hit car 1 because, say, car 3 was going fast enough to propel them into them, then they may not be found at fault.

That said, insurance would probably try to hold car 2 accountable, regardless, more often than not.

Car 1 is at fault.

Run the light you fuckin' nerd

I'd say car #3 is 100% at fault. If they're coming up to a red light, I can't imagine what car #4 could do that would cause car #3 to become unable to stop

NoxObscuras posted...

I'd say car #3 is 100% at fault. If they're coming up to a red light, I can't imagine what car #4 could do that would cause car #3 to become unable to stop

This. I need more details on what 4 did to make 3 cause an accident to avoid an accident.

This seems like the sort of thing that would depend. Are all the cars stopped at the light? How much space was between them?

bfslick50 posted...

This. I need more details on what 4 did to make 3 cause an accident to avoid an accident.

I was a passenger for car 2.

Car 1 was stopped at the red light making a right turn. We are behind also trying to make a right.

Supposably Car 4 was pulling out of the parking lot to our right but didnt stop and cut 3 lanes. Imagine 4 lanes. The lane to go left, the 2 lanes to go forward, and the right lane. Car 3 who was suppose to be in the lane to our left dodged car 4 last second but hit us by changing lanes.

TC was extremely rigged

StealThisSheen posted...

That can depend on conditions/circumstances. In bad weather, then car 2 would probably be found at fault since it could be argued that they should have stopped with additional space between them and the car in front of them, given the road conditions. If there's nothing complicating it like weather, though, and car 2 only hit car 1 because, say, car 3 was going fast enough to propel them into them, then they may not be found at fault.

That said, insurance would probably try to hold car 2 accountable, regardless, more often than not.

Nah. That's not how that works. You keep a reasonable distance between you and the car in front of you, so that you have enough time to safely react if they come to a sudden stop. If Car 2 came to a complete stop before being hit, then the fault isn't on them.

Pau_Gasol_Trade posted...

I was a passenger for car 2.

Car 1 was stopped at the red light making a right turn. We are behind also trying to make a right.

Supposably Car 4 was pulling out of the parking lot to our right but didnt stop and cut 3 lanes. Imagine 4 lanes. The lane to go left, the 2 lanes to go forward, and the right lane. Car 3 who was suppose to be in the lane to our left dodged car 4 last second but hit us by changing lanes.

Yeah, I'd still say Car 3's fault. They only crashed because they were avoiding Car 4's stupid decision, but they over corrected and caused themselves to crash into car 2.

Car 1. Why did mofo stop at a red light?

NoxObscuras posted...

Nah. That's not how that works. You keep a reasonable distance between you and the car in front of you, so that you have enough time to safely react if they come to a sudden stop. If Car 2 came to a complete stop before being hit, then the fault isn't on them.

Sadly, insurance doesnt often see it this way, and theyll still assign some liability to car 2, depending on the details. Thats why youre taught to stop far back enough that you can see the tires of the car in front of you.

HashtagSEP posted...

Sadly, insurance doesnt often see it this way, and theyll still assign some liability to car 2, depending on the details. Thats why youre taught to stop far back enough that you can see the tires of the car in front of you.

That's not been my experience in Cali, but I guess it can vary.

Legally, 3 is at fault. 2 would only come into play in insurance liability, and that varies, yeah.

The idea of stop far back enough to see their tires is so, if you get hit, theres less of a chance youll hit the car in front of you.

The cyclist. Its always the fucking cyclist.

BewmHedshot posted...

TC was extremely rigged

Not as much as the Lillard trade.

The real accident was the cars we wrecked along the way