Was rear ended - other driver blamed me and he has a witness

[Charcharm]

was Stationary for around five seconds at a t junction with a give way box, traffic ahead of me meant I couldn’t advance so I was letting one or two cars through. All of a sudden there is a crash from the impact of the car behind me driving into me.

we move over to a side road and exchange details. I’m shaking from the shock at this point. The guy had a friend in the car so has a witness to back up his story, which is that I slammed the breaks out of nowhere which caused this to happen.

This is completely untrue but that’s his story. I don’t have a witness as I didn’t have the presence of mind to get the details of the people around who saw the incident. I’ve made a police report, my husband spoke to the other driver who repeated his story. Will call insurance next.

what’s my situation? There is around £400-£1000 damage to my car and I have a light concussion (despite the low velocity). I feel sick and shouldn’t be on my phone but I’m feeling so stressed, and wanted to see if anyone else has been in a similar situation?

Thanks in advance

Tell them that there are CCTV cameras at the junction and that you are letting him know before the police call round for insurance fraud. There probably are cameras.

Doesn't matter, he should still have stopped in time.

Notify your insurer , regardless of the circumstances they claim it is always their fault in that situation - speaking from someone who went int the back of someone who did an emergency stop when an ambulance was approaching several cars behind

Even if you had slammed on your brakes, the other driver would still be at fault for not leaving a safe stopping distance between you.

Have you got his details and number plate?
Just pass it straight on to your insurance. Even if you did suddenly brake it’s his responsibility to not drive into you.
He’s trying to intimidate you.

Don’t think he has a leg to stand on. It’s his responsibility to be far enough back in case you slam on

Surely irrelevant what you are doing if someone goes into the back of you they are to blame

Unless he can prove that you slammed the brakes on deliberately to cause an accident, then he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Given the location of the accident, no-one should have been going at sufficient speed that "slammed on" brakes would cause an accident.

Even if they were, it is the failure of the driver behind to maintain a safe stopping distance in case brakes do get slammed on.

None of this is on you. I wouldn't worry.

Doesn't matter. He should have maintained sufficient distance to be able to react to you suddenly stopping. Only a fool breaks two seconds rule and all that.

Doesn't matter even if you 'braked late'. He was too close/driving too fast if he couldn't stop.
You could brake for all sorts of reason, child or animal running into the road etc.
Let him put that on his insurance form - he is still liable.

Doubt that his mate in the car with him would be classed as an independent witness either.

It doesn’t matter if you slammed on the brakes or not, it’s his fault, always. He’s too close to you & therefore his fault.
Any collision like this is the fault of the person that drives into you. Check the Highway Code

They are still to blame, even if you did brake abruptly they had not left enough stopping distance. Check out BigJobber on Facebook as he explains how liability works for situations like this, it will hopefully set your mind at rest.

He can have as many witnesses as he likes, he is still supposed to leave enough space between himself and the car in front so that he can safely react to an emergency stop ahead of him.

You have been hit from behind so he is definitely at fault

I was once involved in an accident on the motorway whereby someone crashed into the back of me and shunted me into the car in front. Whilst they were liable for my rear end damage, I was liable for the damage to the car in front as I should have l left sufficient distance. No matter how he wants to spin it, this is not your fault.

Well his story is incriminating him. I'd have laughed at it and informed him regardless of if you did or didnt brake he was at fault for not maintining a suitable speed or distance to stop in time. If the whitness backs him up thats just incriminating him more. Send to your insurance and let them sort. Usually rear ending is always the other drivers fault. But these days alot of insurance just agree knock for knock.

It’s a T junction and you have to slow down and stop if required. He was going too fast if he rear ended you. I had this approaching a roundabout. My son and daughter had back injuries. The guy followed me home and threatened me. My insurance sorted it out and he also had to cover check ups and treatment at a Spire hospital. We all still occasionally get symptoms 15 years later. The bit of car under the boot (sorry don’t know what it’s called) was completely squashed. I also got compensation. Insurance dealt with it all and I didn’t need to speak with him. I had Direct Line.

He’s in the wrong and his mates not an independent witness just his passenger. Don’t be bullied and let your insurance sort it as that’s what you pay it for

It was his responsibility to leave sufficient distance between you to come to a safe halt. The only reason he hit you is because he didn’t and therefore he’s 100% liable.

Just tell your insurers what happened and that you’re not accepting any liability.

The problem is that, regardless of this, your premiums will still go up on renewal.

He is definitely responsible, he should have left enough space between you to do an emergency stop in the event you need to.

It’s always the person who goes into the back of someone’s fault so don’t worry about that.

He sounds like a dick too.

How awful! Poor you, hope you were ok.

Bollocks.
If you hit someone in front of you it is your fault for not paying attention and leaving a gap. Twat that hit you knows this. Call their bluff.

What everyone else says.

I don't know why people bother to try and dispute these things Just report to your insurers and let them deal with it all.