Car stopped short, hit it.

nightmarenny

While I was driving a car stopped early and I hit it. No real damage, but a few scratchs. We pulled over and talked and the guy said it was no big deal and no point in calling it in. It was only after a few minutes that I relized I could be in legal problem. What could happen now? I live in California.

Doc

Did he collect your info? If he said it's no big deal and didn't get your info, I'd mostly take him at his word.

nightmarenny

Neither collected info.

RUNN1NGMAN

According this form, you're required to report an accident in CA if "there was an injury, death or property damage in excess of $750."

Since he didn't get your info the money issue is probably not going to be a problem, so I think you're good. You're required to give your information to the other driver, but it's obviously too late for that. Maybe the other guy thought he was at fault, and thought he was dodging a bullet with you apologizing. I doubt he's going to show up with a repair bill.

nightmarenny

Well that was certainly less that 750 and there was no injury so I guess were cool?

Robman

The courts are actually pretty reasonable about this stuff, if both parties at the time thought "eh fuck it" and moved on, having no reasonably suspicion that greater damage was done, then you aren't in any legal troubles.

Veevee

Just let this be a lesson to not follow so close.

mugginns

Yeah he didn't stop short, you rear-ended him.

RUNN1NGMAN

mugginns wrote: »

Yeah he didn't stop short, you rear-ended him.

You know, both can be true.

And I didn't see anywhere in the OP where he was like, "OMG, this is totally not my fault, I am an awesome driver and everyone else sucks!!!" Which is how these usually go. So quite refreshing, actually, that he's concerned that maybe he was supposed to report it or something.

lunchbox12682

My wife basically just had this issue, but in Vermont.
Insurance company said don't bother with the police report.
I looked it up anyway, and it's only a $175 fine for failure to report.
If found out, of course.
So watch yourself, but I don't think you need to be too worried.

Raneados

RUNN1NGMAN wrote: »

mugginns wrote: »

Yeah he didn't stop short, you rear-ended him.

You know, both can be true.

And I didn't see anywhere in the OP where he was like, "OMG, this is totally not my fault, I am an awesome driver and everyone else sucks!!!" Which is how these usually go. So quite refreshing, actually, that he's concerned that maybe he was supposed to report it or something.

while the guy's attitude is refreshing, there's no such thing as stopping short

if someone would have slammed their breaks and you would have hit them, you are following too close

the guy that was hit sounds like he either doesn't know about this sort of thing, or is driving without insurance, or something similar

or doesn't care about his car

or has a warrant, etc



as far as I know, you're good to go, just don't follow so close next time

admanb

Yeah. Rear-ending someone is always your fault. Doesn't matter if they slammed on their breaks because a five-year-old ran into the street or because they thought a plastic bag was a cat.

Veevee

admanb wrote: »

Yeah. Rear-ending someone is always your fault. Doesn't matter if they slammed on their breaks because a five-year-old ran into the street or because they thought a plastic bag was a cat.

Or slammed on their brakes because you were following too close

RUNN1NGMAN

Raneados wrote: »

RUNN1NGMAN wrote: »

mugginns wrote: »

Yeah he didn't stop short, you rear-ended him.

You know, both can be true.

And I didn't see anywhere in the OP where he was like, "OMG, this is totally not my fault, I am an awesome driver and everyone else sucks!!!" Which is how these usually go. So quite refreshing, actually, that he's concerned that maybe he was supposed to report it or something.

while the guy's attitude is refreshing, there's no such thing as stopping short

if someone would have slammed their breaks and you would have hit them, you are following too close

the guy that was hit sounds like he either doesn't know about this sort of thing, or is driving without insurance, or something similar

or doesn't care about his car

or has a warrant, etc



as far as I know, you're good to go, just don't follow so close next time

What do you mean there's no such thing as "stopping short"? He just means that the person in front of him stopped abruptly. Are you claiming that it's impossible for the car in front of you to stop with little or no notice?

Again, stopping short is a physical act. It's not a legal term. If a driver hits their brakes and suddenly stops, they "stopped short." If you are following too close to someone who stopped short, then you probably are going to rear-end them.

Ashaman42

I'd agree that in most cases hitting someone in the rear is the fault of the follower.

It's not always cut and dried though, if you were driving along leaving plenty of space to the car in front and someone dives into the gap whilst leaping on their brakes and you hit them I'm sure your insurance would be able to argue the case.

Sir Carcass

Yeah, you'll be fine. My first "accident" was very minor, probably 15 mph, but we were both teenagers without much experience so we called the police. The cop that showed up told us it was up to us if we wanted to report it, but it would most likely cause our insurance to go up and the damage was only cosmetic. We elected not to, and he left without filling anything out.

MushroomStick

Ashaman42 wrote: »

I'd agree that in most cases hitting someone in the rear is the fault of the follower.

It's not always cut and dried though, if you were driving along leaving plenty of space to the car in front and someone dives into the gap whilst leaping on their brakes and you hit them I'm sure your insurance would be able to argue the case.

That's not stopping short though, that's cutting you off.

DirtyDirtyVagrant

That's called a swoop and squat, and it is highly illegal.

TurboGuard

Obviously, the problem people are having here is with the wording. Saying that someone "stopped short and I hit them" makes it come across as if it was the fault of the person stopping instead of the person hitting them.

Raneados

DirtyDirtyVagrant wrote: »

That's called a swoop and squat, and it is highly illegal.

well it's really only that when it's done for the purpose of defrauding the insurance company/scaring the guy that hits you


otherwise it's just sillygoosery

MichaelLC

Raneados wrote: »

DirtyDirtyVagrant wrote: »

That's called a swoop and squat, and it is highly illegal.

well it's really only that when it's done for the purpose of defrauding the insurance company/scaring the guy that hits you

otherwise it's just sillygoosery

I vaguely remember stories of people hanging out at the expressway overpasses. They were working with someone in a car who would get a signal to jam on their brakes to purposely get hit. Suing immediately followed.

Raneados

MichaelLC wrote: »

Raneados wrote: »

DirtyDirtyVagrant wrote: »

That's called a swoop and squat, and it is highly illegal.

well it's really only that when it's done for the purpose of defrauding the insurance company/scaring the guy that hits you

otherwise it's just sillygoosery

I vaguely remember stories of people hanging out at the expressway overpasses. They were working with someone in a car who would get a signal to jam on their brakes to purposely get hit. Suing immediately followed.

swoop and squat