I was involved in an accident where i hit the back of another car. The circustances are that the vehicle in front of me slammed on their breaks as the lights turned to amber, causing me to bump the car.
When leaving our cars i asked why the driver had broken suddenly, the reply was 'the lights had turned to amber'.
Do i have a case for negligence or partial fault by the other driver or do i have to accept that as i hit the car i will be held responsible?
is there a rule that says that it could be deemed as dangerous to break suddenly when lights are changing to amber?
Help please
2007-11-07 01:52:51 · 26 answers · asked by Peter B 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Other - Cars & Transportation
The exact same thing happend to me not to long ago. It doesn't matter what the color of the light was. You hit the person in front of you. It will be your fault 99.9% of the time. They can give you a ticket for driving to fast for conditions or following to close.
2007-11-07 01:56:41 · answer #1 · answered by Bandit_ 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
You are 100% liable. You should simply not be travelling close enough to the other car to avoid hitting him even under hard braking. When approaching a traffic light this is particularly so - you should be aware that a change in the lights would cause the driver in front to stop and should have been preparing to brake yourself. had the car in front gone through with the lights already on amber how were you proposing to stop? Or were you planning on crossing the traffic signal illegally?
2007-11-07 01:58:49 · answer #2 · answered by eriverpipe 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Straightforward. You are at fault.
You were not allowing enough of a gap to pull up safely. You knew there were traffic lights and should have anticipated that they may change. Amber means stop as does red.
Look at it another way. The same car in front - no traffic lights - but a kid runs onto the road to you blame the car in front for braking to avoid an accident!!
2007-11-07 20:47:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's your fault I'm afraid. You shouldn't have been close enough to hit them regardless of how hard they had broke. And if the lights were amber as they approached them they you both should have been prepared to stop. By the time you'd got to the lights they would probably have been red anyway, so you should have been ecpecting to stop.
How can the person in front of you be negligent for breaking on an amber light? You are meant to stop at amber.
They could say that you were negligent for being close enough to hit them.
2007-11-07 02:01:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Sorry, but you will be found at fault. He's supposed to stop at an amber light unless he's too close to do so, and you are required to keep far enough behind him to be able to avoid an accident if he slams his brakes on. Technically, you were tailgating - even if you didn't think you were all that close. The distance you are supposed to be behind another vehicle is intended to give you a buffer in case a situation like this occurs.
Sorry for the bad news. I hate when people do this as well, but there's nothing we can do about it. Good luck!
2007-11-07 02:00:20 · answer #5 · answered by Me 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
You could put a complaint about reckless driving as the Amber light means stop only if it is safe to do so, if you are so close you have to do an emergency stop you are supposed to carry on. But I wouldn't hold your breath on that one, the general response will always be that you should not have been driving so close you could not stop in time had they done an emergency stop.
Good luck with whatever you choose to do, but I think you'll need a good lawyer to get you off this one.
2007-11-08 03:00:35 · answer #6 · answered by Bealzebub 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Basically in this type of incident the following car is deemed negligent for not allowing sufficient braking distance. as for the stopping at Amber again the leading car would have appeared to have acted correctly. I suggest that you speak to your insurers and explain your actions. If you are lucky they may as for a percentage of liability to be passed on to the lead driver but do not count on it
2007-11-07 08:19:02 · answer #7 · answered by The Fat Controller 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You are definitely at fault. It is called failing to maintain assured clear distance. It is always your responsibility to ensure that you have enough space between you and the vehicle ahead to account for emergency braking. The only time that it could be argued is if you are driving and another car moves into your lane taking away the assured clear distance, if an accident happens in that short period of time, then you are clear, but if it happens, you still have the responsibility to re-gain that distance by slowing or changing lanes. 99% of the time you rear end somebody, it's your fault.
2007-11-07 02:00:56 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
i'm so sorry this befell to you. it rather is needed be responsive to what the police checklist says--what the cops on the scene say interior the checklist, what the different driving force says befell, and what you stated to the officer and what he consequently put in his checklist. additionally it rather is needed evaluate in spite of if or not the different driving force substitute into stated (i.e., have been given a value ticket) for thoroughly blowing that mild like an asshole. If he have been given a value ticket, he would be what we call interior the regulation "negligent consistent with se", meaning he's negligent and his negligent led to the wear and tear. no could teach it with witnesses. Are there any witnesses in any respect? you somewhat might in basic terms want one. If possible, assemble all your information formerly proceeding to a diverse attorney. As you be responsive to, many own harm attorneys artwork on contingency, meaning they get not something until eventually they get a judgment for you--so as that they are prompted to artwork perplexing. consistent with threat the attorney you talked to alter into basically lazy because of the fact it somewhat is not an open-and-close case and it will take some leg artwork. in spite of if a attorney won't take your case, your coverage enterprise will artwork their butts off to get their funds lower back from his coverage enterprise, because of the fact it substitute into his fault. So do not ignore to stay related with your coverage enterprise. yet to respond to your question, NO, in case you proceeded during the eco-friendly mild like a regulation abiding citizen, and he blew the mild to get his bratty toddler to college on time, then you definately broke no rules and if justice prevails, could be extremely compensated on your vehicle, your discomfort, suffering, and lost wages.
2016-09-28 12:38:53 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its your fault, you were not driving at an adequate distance from the vehicle in front.
A car could stop at any time, you should be prepared and expect the unexpected.
Its called being a good driver.
2007-11-07 05:46:15 · answer #10 · answered by rookethorne 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋