Rear end

We all have heard this:  if you hit someone in the rear, it's your fault. Everyone knows this. 

Granted, there are (rare) circumstances where you aren't at fault for hitting someone in the rear. If they change lanes into your lane, and the damage is primarily one side of their rear bumper to the opposite side of your front bumper, chances are they changed lanes and there wasn't much you could do about it. If someone backs into you, technically they hit the front of your bumper. If your vehicle is pushed into the other vehicle. 

But under most circumstances, if the center of your front bumper strikes the center of the other guy's rear bumper, the accident will be your fault. 

"He was driving erratically" is not an excuse. That means you stay further away, asshat. Don't get closer. 

"She stopped suddenly" is also not an excuse. You need to keep enough distance between you and the vehicle ahead of you so, just in case she does stop unexpectedly, you can, too. Without hitting her.

"They didn't signal" doesn't work for me either. Again, you should have enough distance blah, blah, blah. 

And again, we've heard it all before. There may be some comparative negligence (like maybe 10%, if you're lucky), but realistically, you're at fault. 

So please don't waste my time whining about how you aren't at fault. Or worse, how your 28 year old son isn't at fault (even though you weren't at the scene and don't have the slightest clue what happened). Believe it or not, as your insurance company we are here to protect you. And oftentimes, the best way to protect you is to accept that yes, you are at fault.