If it is ever the front car's fault.

[DownToTheSeaAgain]

Someone drove into the back of me today as I was stopping at a crossroads.

Swapped numbers etc etc submitted insurance claim and all that is progressing. It's not a lot of damage but some.

Anyway I was wondering if there were ever a case when it could be construed as my fault for stopping rather than the other person for not stopping. The light was on amber, switching to red. If I'd driven across then I'd have been driving on red.

No. The car behind should be paying enough attention to not crash into the car in front if they make an emergency stop.

Ie if the car infront slams on its brakes for no reason apparent to the car behind, and the car behind hits them, its still the fault of the car behind.

I don’t think so because even if the car in front did something wrong, the car behind should have been far enough behind to stop without hitting the car in front.

@Purplecatshopaholic

I don’t think so because even if the car in front did something wrong, the car behind should have been far enough behind to stop without hitting the car in front.

Yep this.

My understanding is that a rear end is always the fault of the car behind.

Don't know about exceptions, but I think it'd definitely be their fault in this case. Driver behind should be alert to the possibility of you stopping.

Only if you reversed / rolled backwards

Hope you're OK by the way.

I think it is possible, but unlikely.

@Purplecatshopaholic

I don’t think so because even if the car in front did something wrong, the car behind should have been far enough behind to stop without hitting the car in front.

Yes, this. I had an old friend who was a terrible driver, would start to pull out then stop or suddenly slow down to a stop to turn a corner, no indicators. She was rear ended 4 times and it was always the driver behind at fault even though her actions caused it contributed to it massively.

Generally yes front car is at fault though there's cases of people deliberately causing crashes by slamming on the brakes (claiming whiplash) so there are exceptions

@icedcoffees

I think it is possible, but unlikely.

Yes fine. But much more shaken up than I'd have expected. It wasn't a big bump. Thank you

Sorry this was in reply to the am I ok question. Brain a bit fuzzy!

Yes, this. I had an old friend who was a terrible driver, would start to pull out then stop or suddenly slow down to a stop to turn a corner, no indicators. She was rear ended 4 times and it was always the driver behind at fault even though her actions caused it contributed to it massively.

Doesn't matter if she suddenly stopped, or slowed down to look at flowers, or whatever. The car behind should have room to stop.

There are exceptions, this is isn't one of them however.

There won't be any issue with both insurers dealing swiftly with this for you. I'd be surprised if the other insurers don't contact you and offer to sort it out for you.

Maybe if they reversed or rolled back. Or maybe if they had no working brake lights?

There are exceptions.
I was once in a 50mph dual carriageway and a young driver suddenly switched from left hand lane into right hand lane just a few feet in front of me and slammed on the brakes to stop fully - he was then going to wait to turn right.

Because he’d basically pulled into the gap I’d left for safe braking whilst doing 50mph and slammed his brakes on, the insurance determined he was at fault fully.

He also fled the scene and I had to chase him down until he stopped! His mother then screamed on the phone about it being my fault as I was behind. Luckily the insurance saw that it was fully his fault, that he’d done something incredibly dangerous, and that even at safe distances I couldn’t have stopped due his reckless driving and him pulling out & then braking just feet off my front bumper.

So yes there are exceptions, but I believe not many.

Thank you. I'm worried that the insurance company will somehow find a reason not to pay up for the garage investigating the repair/ the courtesy car and somehow land it back on me. It sounds like it is not likely in this case so thank you for the reassurance.

Not in that situation. I had a crash where it was the front cars fault as they stuck it in reverse at a roundabout. Elderly driver got confused and admitted it rather than a crash for cash incident.

There are nearly always exceptions - in that most things in driving are case specific and not a blanket rule- but yes it’ll nearly always been the fault of the car behind.

Nope. A car in front of my stopped incorrectly which meant I had to perform an emergency stop. Driver behind me not paying attention and went into me. He was at fault despite the fact that really the accident was caused by the person in front of me. Insurance company weren’t even interested in the person infront. Who drove off anyway!

I drove into someone. It ended up in court as I disagreed with some of what they said and the amount they were claiming. The judge found in my favour. Can't be specific as it could be outing. But they didn't really help themselves at any stage, and I think because I'd driven into them they assumed the judge would find in their favour so made no effort with their case. The driver was insured so I think that meant his premiums went up. The passenger wasn't insured so would have had to shoulder their own costs. Ooops!

@HarrisonStickle

I drove into someone. It ended up in court as I disagreed with some of what they said and the amount they were claiming. The judge found in my favour. Can't be specific as it could be outing. But they didn't really help themselves at any stage, and I think because I'd driven into them they assumed the judge would find in their favour so made no effort with their case. The driver was insured so I think that meant his premiums went up. The passenger wasn't insured so would have had to shoulder their own costs. Ooops!

It won't be out insures deal with cases where quantum is disputed in court every day. The passenger would likely have entered into an agreement with the solicitor or the drivers insurance company will have paid up

@nokidshere

Yes, this. I had an old friend who was a terrible driver, would start to pull out then stop or suddenly slow down to a stop to turn a corner, no indicators. She was rear ended 4 times and it was always the driver behind at fault even though her actions caused it contributed to it massively.

Doesn't matter if she suddenly stopped, or slowed down to look at flowers, or whatever. The car behind should have room to stop.

Yes, as I said, it is the driver behinds fault.

The only time I can think of, is if a car smashes into the car in front, which bumps into the car in front of that... while stationary, in a traffic jam.

Happened to me! Mind you, even with that, they might argue stopping distance wasn't long enough, even though nobody was driving at the time (well, other than the back driver who started it all!).

I was the front car stopped at traffic lights a few years ago when someone slammed into the back of me. Nobody hurt, but my car had a significant dent in the back so I stopped at the police station (a few streets over) and asked if someone could just pop and check I was safe to go as I was out on my own at the time.
I asked the policeman who checked the car over and he said always the car behind unless very exceptional circumstances- they should be observing what you’re doing from a safe stopping distance!