Who's at fault

Not quite sure if this is in the right forum, but im just looking for some thoughts so I decided not to put this in stress release.

Ok so I am leaving Texas Roadhouse steak house on my way to Denny's with a few friends. I'm driving my new 240, my friend Lauren is in her new cavy and Marc in his dakota sport with Scott and Ashley. So we hop on La grange, a 4 lane street. The conditions are its dark, slight drizzle and obviously wet, and the speed limit is 45.

Lauren in up in front so i signal get into the right lane and get around her. when I pass her I am prolly going 55-60, I am not entirely sure because my speedometer is broken haha. Well I get up a ways and signal that I am getting back into the left lane because Denny's is coming up soon. I check my mirrors and everything looks fine so I make my lane change. about what seems like 2-3 seconds later I see Truck headlights barraling down on me, then it looks as if they make a turn to get on the highway. Later I come to find out when Lauren gets to Denny's it was Marc and he almost hit me so he went up on the median to avoid hitting me. It turnes out he got 2 flat tires, possible rim damage and possible rear axle damage.

So I ask Lauren about the whole thing seeing as how she was sitting behind watching the whole thing. She said it didnt look as tho i was at fault, however Marc and Scott are saying it is my fault for the tires and rims.

Now at this point I'm like what the hell just happened, how is it my fault. They said I was driving like a dumbass, when in turn they were obviously following too closely and unsafely for the conditions. My blinker was on indicating that i was going to make a turn and i did check and everything was fine, but somehow they belive it is my fault. They say I cut them off or something when in turn since they had to have seen my blinker they tried to cut me off.

So naturally I went back to make sure everyoen was ok, but they said to just leave. Now I find out that the cops were called to look at the truck and what not. So I will be mightily pissed if i get charged with leaving the scene of an accident.

So what I am asking is who do all of you think is at fault, and reguardless I told him I would help pay for the tires. If you dont mind leaving some info as to why you think who is at fault that would be awesome as well.

thanks guys

By the way Nobody was injured

i don't think i totally understand, did you cut into his lane of travel and cause him to run off the road?

the way i see it is it's not your fault
1) because if you all knew you were going to denny's, he should have left you room to get over
2)he was behind you and should have been in control of his vehicle so as to not have to drive off the road to avoid an accident.
3)your cars never made contact, as far as the cops are concerned he just drove off the road.

I don't really understand what Marc was doing... Did he follow you and go around Lauren as well?

If you were all going to the same place there's no reason any of you should have been overtaking anyone in the first place...

Ya, he went around Lauren as well, however he was no where behind me when I went around her.

BP- I didnt cut into his lane, we either turned at the same time or I was there first or else I would have seen him in that lane you know. He had to be going 75+ because I was going 55-60 and he came up on me pretty fast. The thing I dont understand is why he didnt just get back over into the right lane instead of going over the median because no crs were in the right lane.

Did you see him in your mirrors behind you as you overtook Lauren?

No, I didnt see him in my mirrors as i over took her, in fact I saw another friend of ours who got onto the expressway to head home. She was driving her grand am, and when we pulled out of Texas Roadhouse I believe he was either behind her or our friend Mandy who also went home on the expressway instead of denny's

anyone who tries to be a hero and messes up there car is at fault. hes the one that steered into the median. he was obviosly trying to impress someone or be a hero in someway, cause if he wasnt he wouldnt of crashed. next time just meet up there following isnt always a good idea, also illegal for a reason like this one here!

I haven't completely got the full picture, but it sounds like Marc was driving like a jackass... especially if you say he was driving at 75...

Are you sure that he wasn't in your blindspot? If he was in your blindspot and you moved in the other lane, than you're the one at fault. If I were you, I would offer to pay for half the damage, I don't think that your share will be more than like $250-300

Its hard to tell what really happened, seeing as you're obviously going to be biased towards yourself by human nature. But it sounds like it was just one of those things that happen.

Are you sure that he wasn't in your blindspot? If he was in your blindspot and you moved in the other lane, than you're the one at fault. If I were you, I would offer to pay for half the damage, I don't think that your share will be more than like $250-300
How would he have got in his blindspot unless he was 'undertaking'?

Edit: and i wouldn't offer to pay half the damage to a guy who was driving like a moron in less than ideal conditions. This is of course based on the integrity of what you're telling us ;)

No, he wasnt in my blindspot becuase I always check the mirrors and blindspot before I do anything with switching lanes. That and if he was in my blindspot and we were going at our rates of speed we would have collided


I told him I would probrably help pay for the tires, but as for his axle if its even messed up no way. He takes his truck off roading all the time so god knows what could have happened to the axle during that time.

Honestly I dont think he can prove anything tho. Its the people in his truck who will be biased in his favor obviously vs. myself, who even tho I know I wasnt in the wrong will still be considered biased for myself and Lauren who saw it all happen who said it wasn't my fault.

He was speeding, sounds to me like it was his fault, perhaps he hydroplanned, he's just looking for a scapegoat so he doesn't look stupid.

Offering to pay half, I would have too, if he let's you pay though, than some friend he is (unless it's outrageous amount), but if he let's you off, it's probably proof it wasn't your fault.

your at fault cause you started screwing around at first.

^quite possibly the world's worst logic.

I agree, if everything you say is true, he is totally at fault due to the high rate of speed he was travelling at. Are you sure that you weren't going very fast :lol:? He probably just lost control on the wet pavement. he is probably an idiot.

ya, my speed was fast even without the conditions, 10-15 over always is. Ya, hes deffinately trying to get all our other friends against me tho, its pretty rediculous.

As for the pay half thing Canuksrt was saying he is telling ppl he is not sure if he wants to pay it or if he wants me t pay it. Therefore I never thought about it, but you could be correct in saying he knows it was his mistake.

Also he got new rims and tires only 2 cost 800 bux! He deffinately got ripped off because i saw the wheel and tire package for 400 for the two. If he got all 4 then i would only give him half for the two as he bought the others on his own.

If we need to take this to court do you think along with my statement, him going off roading all the time would possibly play a factor in the axle that may be messed up.

If he takes it to court and loses he can throw my I'll pay half out the door tho.

IMO it's his fault. He was speeding and if it was in the last couple nights the roads have been pretty slick with the freezing rain, atleast west of Aurora anyways, so he was going way to fast for conditions.

Sorry, OT, but.. wow andy, you live about 15 mins from me

Is this the start of a beautiful friendship? God i hope so....










:lol:

Ya, freezing rain, we all need to meet up sometime tho. We all live in like a 30 min radius of each other.

I'm also wondering now is there a certain time frame that you have to file a police report. Because its now been over 48 hours and I do not think he has filed one.


That and now he has ppl harassing me saying they wish i get in a crash soon. I know its dumb of me not to have saved them, but it was a heat of the moment thing. So needless to say he is no longer getting a dime from me, he can kiss off for all this crap hes pulling.

Is this the start of a beautiful friendship? God i hope so....
:lol:
That's the sort of bond common in all us Northern Illinois people, problem with that? :biggrin2:

That's the sort of bond common in all us Northern Illinois people, problem with that? :biggrin2:
Not at all, just keep us informed of all the new little friends you make :grinno: