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Me = moron ...

PRB

PRB

Administrator
Staff member
Got in a wreck on Wednesday. Fender bender I guess. 100% my fault, as I ran into the back of a Toyota SUV. My Jeep suffered insignificant damage, while the Toyota has a slightly caved in left rear bumper. The guy stopped at a yield sign, then went, then I went, checked left for traffic, then he stopped again, I looked back … too late. I have no room to complain. Had I been driving more “defensively” I would have survived being “brake checked”, as I see it. All the cop wanted to do was get all over my case for having a Washington State license in Missouri, which I have 30 days to address, and it's only been 15, and I'm working on it. And he gave me a ticket for “following too close” which isn't what happened anyway, not that he ever asked what “my side of the story” was. Doesn't matter anyway. I've only been in one other accident in my life, back in 1998, but that one wasn't my fault, although it was much more spectacular, when my Mitsubishi Montero rolled (a couple times) after getting rammed in the starboard quarter. Oh well, next week will be better, right?
 
We've all been there, don't beat yourself up about it; that kind of shunt is quite common in the UK, normally at roundabouts, doing exactly what you did - been on the receving end once, and in the passenger seat twice when my (now ex-)wife went into the back of somebody. And it sounds like traffic cops are the same world over; even regular UK cops don't like the traffic cops!! :icon_lol:
 
Not sure how it works in Missouri, but when I was working in the Norfolk VA traffic courts, the way it worked was that if you hit someone in the rear, then it was automatically your fault. Which delights lawyers for the person that got hit. Hopefully it works out for you.

BTW, it must be going around. Yesterday morning my stepson hit a deer with his sister's SUV. Fortunately no one was hurt.
 
Willy said:
BTW, it must be going around. Yesterday morning my stepson hit a deer with his sister's SUV. Fortunately no one was hurt.
Click to expand...

Except the deer!

When my Dad taught me to drive, he gave me this simple rule to live by when behind the wheel:

Always assume that the driver beside/behind/in front of you is about to do something really stupid and anticipate their stupidity.

I have followed that rule all my driving years and have never had an accident...but I have avoided many many accidents by anticipating the sudden stupidity of other drivers.

OBIO
 
Willy said:
Not sure how it works in Missouri, but when I was working in the Norfolk VA traffic courts, the way it worked was that if you hit someone in the rear, then it was automatically your fault. Which delights lawyers for the person that got hit. Hopefully it works out for you.

BTW, it must be going around. Yesterday morning my stepson hit a deer with his sister's SUV. Fortunately no one was hurt.
Click to expand...

Well, I don't need any official government bureaucrat genius to tell me it was my fault. I already knew that two seconds after I hit him. I wouldn't even know how to argue otherwise, and don't plan to. I just wish he would have been paying more attention to traffic from the left, then he wouldn't have had to stomp on the brakes just as I was checking traffic from the left... But that's just a worthless excuse......
 
P, stuff happens. I've had several me = moron moments involving vehicles. Life goes on...

The ones I hate are the ones where I know darn well it wasn't my fault, but managed to get the ticket anyway.
 
PRB said:
Well, I don't need any official government bureaucrat genius to tell me it was my fault. I already knew that two seconds after I hit him. I wouldn't even know how to argue otherwise, and don't plan to. I just wish he would have been paying more attention to traffic from the left, then he wouldn't have had to stomp on the brakes just as I was checking traffic from the left... But that's just a worthless excuse......
Click to expand...

Looking at it from another perspective.. slightly more cynical, to be sure.
I had the same sort of occurrence a few years ago (late night and almost NO traffic in any direction) and initially felt the same way.. "Well, it WAS my fault". Did all the right paperwork, etc.
Few weeks later I get notice of a lawsuit -- apparently the guy and his wife were injured far more significantly than first thought (right) and were suing, etc., etc...

Passed this all on to my insurance company and heard no more.. until I asked. Turns out that there has been a history of people deliberately doing just as the guy in front of you did..starting, then stopping for no reason --- except the reason of being able to claim grievous (whiplash) injuries. Upon investigation, some have been found to do it in multiple jurisdictions, over and over again. In other words, there's a scam afoot.

Word to the wise.. make notes, try to get witnesses, get prepared and don't assume it wasn't the cop's second cousin (there is some case history for THAT one too).

BTW, there must have been some juicy discussions because I never heard any more about it, and it never showed on my file (hmmm)

Rob
 
srgalahad said:
Looking at it from another perspective.. slightly more cynical, to be sure.
I had the same sort of occurrence a few years ago (late night and almost NO traffic in any direction) and initially felt the same way.. "Well, it WAS my fault". Did all the right paperwork, etc.
Few weeks later I get notice of a lawsuit -- apparently the guy and his wife were injured far more significantly than first thought (right) and were suing, etc., etc...

Passed this all on to my insurance company and heard no more.. until I asked. Turns out that there has been a history of people deliberately doing just as the guy in front of you did..starting, then stopping for no reason --- except the reason of being able to claim grievous (whiplash) injuries. Upon investigation, some have been found to do it in multiple jurisdictions, over and over again. In other words, there's a scam afoot.

Word to the wise.. make notes, try to get witnesses, get prepared and don't assume it wasn't the cop's second cousin (there is some case history for THAT one too).

BTW, there must have been some juicy discussions because I never heard any more about it, and it never showed on my file (hmmm)

Rob
Click to expand...

This scenario actually had crossed my mind, but I quickly convinced myself that I was being paranoid due to stress. We'll see...
 
and don't assume it wasn't the cop's second cousin (there is some case history for THAT one too).
Click to expand...

Happened to me on one of mine. Guy cut the inside of a curve and hit me head on in my lane. I got the ticket then later found out that he was related to the cop's wife. Fortunately, I had witnesses that showed up in court and I was able to beat it.
 
Well, the only tip i was given by my dad when he was teaching me how to drive was:
Think ahead, anticipation is the rule of thump to survive at the concrete jungle

Prowler
 
Prb

you're taking it right. I've had two of those, almost exactly the same way. First one in 1967, in my '53 Ford, next one in 1969, on a motorcycle! Both times just as clearing a controlled intersection, and the guy in front of me stopping to turn left in the middle of rush hour, into a business driveway less than a car length AFTER the intersection. Technically my fault both times. But the insurance company didn't think so both times, as I had witnesses statements. Surprisingly, tickets both got dropped, also.

Good luck, and keep the chin up.
 
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