Rear ended by a honda
 

Hey guys, sad news today and just a heads up for anybody neglecting having their brakes serviced. Was going down one of the local roads today just crusing at the posted speed limit and come up to a traffic light with a whole bunch of cars in front of me that were stopped for a red light. Guy in front of me semi slammed on his brakes and i was a good 20 or 30 feet behind him so i stop a little quicker than normal, but not slamming on the brakes by any means. i come to a full stop and low and behold i look in my rear view mirror to see a late model honda accord that is approximately 50 feet behind me and he didnt seem to be slowing down and then it happens....at about the 30 foot mark behind me he finally slams on his brakes and i hear his tires screech, but then i hear something different....no tire screech and i see his car lunge forward a few feet while i could see he's attempting to stop and then followed by me seeing his front end tilt downward as his car re engages the brakes but it was to late, i had no escape route with cars to my right side and a concrete barrier to my left and i hear a loud "boom!" from behind my seat. Needless to say he hit me, we both turn our hazards on and get out to check the damage when the first thing i hear him say is "i didnt see your brake lights against the sun". I remained as calm as i could and exchanged insurance information with him which he tried to get out of doing by saying he would pay for the damages himself, but of course i insisted that i get his information and while i was at it i took a closer look at the damage....not that bad considering how loud it sounded, just a small imprint left from his license plate and a few small scratches. Aside from that no other visible damage...just goes to show you...never ever neglect servicing your brakes.

P.S.

Just wondering if anyone would suggest asking the adjuster when they call me tomorrow about diminshed value as my car is only 3 months old now?

Sorry to hear that. Glad that you are OK though.

thanks pedel, sad thing is i was on the way to the car wash to scrub her down nice and clean too :(

California is not a diminished value state. I doubt you will get it from his insurance company unless you get a lawyer. Best to call your insurance company right away. Good luck with repairs

so where did this happen? Fullerton area?

Glad it wasn't too much damage. But are you saying your brake lights weren't working?

no my brake lights were definitely working, the guy just wasnt able to see them due to the sun light being in his eyes according to him. As far as where it happened it was in westminster around westminster ave. and magnolia ave.

sorry to hear, z-ealot. :( hang in there.

Sorry to hear and very glad you are ok! Good luck with the repairs.

Sorry to hear about your accident. I am always afraid of this in my car as the Z can stop so quickly and others may not be able to (even asssuming they are paying attention).

Have your car checked thoroughly. You would be surprised to see what is behind the rear fascia that is designed to protect you....bumper armature, energy absorbing foam blocks, etc. This should all be replaced if damaged and not just the fascia.

That whole sunlight excuse is BS if you ask me. If he can't see hazards in the road he has no business driving.

Even is he couldn't see the lights, he should be able to tell when a car is slowing down regardless. Otherwise, take his license or get him some glasses.

Thanks for all the support everyone and yes i will have them thoroughly check it as from past experience i know there is alot more to the back bumper than just the fascia, probably will have them check the suspension just in case too. Kinda sucks though that california is not a diminished value state as now i have to take a hit on the value of the car as a whole, considering i plan on keeping it for a very long time though i guess its not so bad. as for the whole "sunlight in my eyes" excuse that the other driver gave me i didnt put much weight in it either as i could see the cars in front of me just fine and was able to stop with no fuss. Just another driver not paying attention is all i chalk it up to.

Drivers in SoCal are the worst when it comes to not paying attention to their driving. I hate that.

yah, that glare is terrible if the person's car had dirty glass especially on the inside and sun hits it.

we car guys clean the inner glass like every few weeks but normal folks dont clean it at all... :icon14: