Anyone ever get hit by a cop car or any other emergency vehicle? Always wondered how that plays out when they are at fault.

[KrisZ]

I've always had the opinion that we need cameras on all four sides. Usually the dash cam only shows half the story as the end result is usually off to the side of the vehicle.

Dashcam footage doesn't need to show the the exact impact to be useful. In the case of a side collision, as an example, the footage can be used to show if you were changing lanes, or stayed in your lane, in the moments leading up to the collision.
If you stayed in your lane and the other party claims you hit them, as in you were the one changing lanes, the dash cam footage would 100% validate your story over theirs.

 

[Paco Pena]

Remember Rodney King?

Paco

 

[MasterSolenoid]

Here's a good example.

 

[The motor guy]

Here's a good example.

Yeah I saw that video like 4 years ago. Wonder how much he got out of that one. Only reason he was honest was because the biker had it on camera too. People do that around here too with those similar narrow country backroads. Nobody knows how to make a wide turn, so they just cut over onto the left side of the road. It's annoying because I'm stuck at the stop sign instead of being able to turn right while the other car turns left.

 

[k1xv]

Seems to happen regularly in Vermont. For example

https://www.wcax.com/2025/03/12/man...r-officer-tries-cross-intersection-too-early/

 

[Nukeman7]

You certainly don't want to be hit by a municipal vehicle even if your car is parked. See what happened in this situation in Norfolk, Virginia:

 

[PandaBear]

My guess is how much publicity they want and how much attorney fees they have to pay to defend themselves if they don't pay. Police chief here is sort of a politician and they don't want bad publicity.

 

[D60]

My ex-wife had a cop slide into her as he was (attempting to) respond to a call. I guess that old thing about don't create more victims was forgotten that day for him.

That said, she was fine. It was clearly the cop's fault (she was stopped at a red light) and you don't have to worry about if they have insurance.

Back then you could just get estimates and the insurance would cut you a check. Then we sourced used parts and had a less expensive body shop do the work. We made a little $ on the deal, which I'm fine with because it was still an inconvenience and she missed some work that day.

 

[Hall]

Nowadays the lawyer can FOIA the dash cam video to see what happened. Or anyone can request it for that matter.

"We're really sorry, it looks like the officer's dash cam malfunctioned and it didn't record anything"

 

[Hall]

You certainly don't want to be hit by a municipal vehicle even if your car is parked. See what happened in this situation in Norfolk, Virginia:

Statement from that city says "the driver was actively picking up refuse .... city had immunity ... and is not liable". In other words, "we could pay for damages but we don't have to, so tough...."

 

[fdcg27]

Guess it depends on the country. In the US a good lawyer can get you out of most everything except murder. Even then they can probably get you out of that too. Which is probably most of the problem we have here. People drive their vehicles like matchbox cars on the indy 500 with zero regard for what could happen. Just put the car back on the track with two fingers and try again.

A lot of legit murder charges get plead down to voluntary manslaughter.
I chaired a grand jury that indicted a guy on a charge of murder and that was the outcome.
The difference for the perp in Ohio is that the lesser charge has an out date of ten or eleven years while murder is fifteen to life, meaning that you don't get out until the parole board wants to let you out.

 

[The motor guy]

A lot of legit murder charges get plead down to voluntary manslaughter.
I chaired a grand jury that indicted a guy on a charge of murder and that was the outcome.
The difference for the perp in Ohio is that the lesser charge has an out date of ten or eleven years while murder is fifteen to life, meaning that you don't get out until the parole board wants to let you out.

I think Ohio is the murder Capitol of the US. They all have tiny 100 year old houses they're stuck in 9 months out of the year when it's freezing cold, so you can imagine why

 

[GaryMX5]

I worked for a city for 30 years. When a city vehicle (be it a cop, or any other department) was in an accident specific procedures had to be followed (a big card was in the glove compartment of every vehicle listing the procedures). The accident investigation unit "had" to be called and a accident report was prepared and issued for all parties involved. The City had a claims manager that handled any at fault claims. These were paid directly from a fund if less than a certain amount. The city had major liability insurance for those damages exceeding the threshold. The City Attorney's office had to be immediately contacted if an accident involved any injuries. If you got in the way of an emergency vehicle be it a cop, firetruck, snowplow, etc an it had its lights on or using a siren and had an accident the city was exempt from almost any liability per state laws.

 

[The motor guy]

I worked for a city for 30 years. When a city vehicle (be it a cop, or any other department) was in an accident specific procedures had to be followed (a big card was in the glove compartment of every vehicle listing the procedures). The accident investigation unit "had" to be called and a accident report was prepared and issued for all parties involved. The City had a claims manager that handled any at fault claims. These were paid directly from a fund if less than a certain amount. The city had major liability insurance for those damages exceeding the threshold. The City Attorney's office had to be immediately contacted if an accident involved any injuries. If you got in the way of an emergency vehicle be it a cop, firetruck, snowplow, etc an it had its lights on or using a siren and had an accident the city was exempt from almost any liability per state laws.

Sounds like a very loaded scenario. How do they determine you were in the way? lol

 

[The motor guy]

"We're really sorry, it looks like the officer's dash cam malfunctioned and it didn't record anything"

This reminds me about 10 years ago a cop pulled out in front of a pickup towing a 40ft gooseneck trailer and needless to say the cop had a bad day. Patrol car basically got thrown back off the road like a coca cola can from the impact. Somebody caught it all on dashcam and the cops were making him leave the scene. That guy with the dashcam footage posted it all online saying if this is you, I saw what happened. Always wondered what came of that. They would going to blame it all on the guy towing the gooseneck. Just because they turn on the lights and siren, doesn't give them the authority to pull out in front of someone without looking.

 

[ls1mike]

Someone i worked with got hit by a federal government vehicle. I know it took awhile to get paid.