Months ago I was driving to work, same as I do five days every week, when I was rear-ended. A car in front of me had stopped suddenly, so naturally I stopped behind them. When I looked back in my rear-view mirror, I see a car coming up behind me pretty quickly. They didn't stop.
I moved over to the shoulder right there where it happened, and the other car followed. We get out of our cars to see the damage. My car had scratches and a little chipped paint on the rear bumper. The front end of his rusting POS was ruined; the grill was smashed, headlights smashed, radiator dented in, hood bent up, etc. He called the authorities, and they arrived to check things out.
Now, here's where it gets relevant. The driver was overweight, but probably not obese. His girl in the passenger seat, however, was a fucking ham. I didn't even notice her until the ambulance arrived, because she didn't get out until they arrived to carry her out. The both of them left on stretchers. I was late for work, so I just drove to work.
One of my hobbies is working on my car. I installed the brakes myself, and they're not just any brakes. Some internet research pointed me to affordable high performance street brakes. It's my responsibility as a driver to ensure my car can stop when it needs to. So, because I'm not a piece of shit on the road, my car stops when it has to, and I pay attention to when that is.
Fast-forward to today, and I just get off the phone with my insurance company. Apparently the fatties filed a lawsuit for medical damages. The insurance guy told me they have me covered with a lawyer and everything, but I'm pissed anyway. These greedy fat bastards didn't keep up with their car's maintenance, screwed up driving it, damaged my car, and now they want MY money? It's almost amusing that they think they have a chance at it. It's enfuriating that they think they're fucking entitled to it.
Update: I got a call back from my insurance guy. They settled. My company paid in $3000, and the other company paid in some as well. On one hand, I have nothing to worry about now. On the other, those hams just got paid for being dicks.
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[–] la_fupacabra 0 points 14 points 14 points (+14|-0) ago
Wtf. I thought if you rear ended someone 9/10 times it was your fault? Stupid fatties.
[–] Manowarthog 0 points 20 points 20 points (+20|-0) ago
10/10 - if you rear end someone its your fault. Failure to follow at a safe distance.
[–] FilmMakingShitlord 0 points 7 points 7 points (+7|-0) ago
My brother had a fatty back into him at an intersection. They counted it as rear ending even though he wasn't even moving. So not 10/10.
[–] la_fupacabra 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
I KNEW IT. Stupid fucking hams
[–] eatbeasthater 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
The only time I can see rear ending not eventually ending up the rear-ender's fault is if witness statements and accounts detail the front-ender was driving aggressively and "brake-checking" the rear-ender, of whom would have been following at a safe distance.
But these fats were definitely not doing that.
[–] obesecheese ago
Yep, in my state, context is irrelevant for rear endings, it's always the fault of the person in back.
[–] hypercat 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
In CA even if you get pushed into a car in front of you (pile up) you are in charge of damage to that car as is the guy behind you in charge of your damage and so on. So if you are a dick and you BACK into a car, you can blame it on them.
[–] VegetarianZombie1 ago
My first car "accident" went just like that. I was behind a lady who was in the right turn only lane (because I was turning right). The lane, right as you're turning on to the other street, has a small median separating you from the road you're turning off of. She gets to that point, puts the car in reverse, hits me, then yells at me like I hit her (even though I'd been stopped waiting on her to turn for at least a second). Since it was my first accident (and I was only 16), I didn't think to call the police or anything to get a report, even though she admitted herself that she backed up to try to get out of the right turn lane.
So...first car accident was my fault because some woman was an idiot.