Rear-ended at a red light, then the insurance adjuster tried to pin 10% of the blame on the driver

A driver got hit from behind while fully stopped at a light, and the at-fault side's insurer floated a 90:10 split instead of the obvious 100:0.

Translated by Klore · Published

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Trending on a Korean communityView original post ↗
● Some K-contextDaily lifeSocietyHow much Korea-context this story assumes. English translations and context by Klore.
Community postEnglish translation
Anonymous

I was stopped at a red light when someone slammed into me from behind — figured it was obviously 100:0.신호 대기 중에 뒤에서 쿵 박혀서 당연히 100대 0인 줄 알았더니,

But the insurance adjuster tried to low-ball it as a 90:10 split lol. While I was arguing with him, a coworker who overheard grabbed my phone and dropped one line.보험사 직원이 9대 1로 합의하자고 간을 봄 ㅋㅋㅋ 어이없어서 실랑이하고 있으니까 옆에서 듣던 회사 동료가 폰 뺏더니 딱 한마디 알려줌.

"Stop arguing with him. Just tell him to send you a written statement with the legal basis and industry standard for why I'm even 10% at fault.""입씨름하지 말고, 내가 왜 1인지 손보협회 기준이랑 법적 근거 적어서 '서면'으로 보내달라고 해."

I repeated that to the adjuster word for word. Three seconds of dead silence, then he flipped instantly and processed it as 100:0.담당자한테 그대로 말했더니 3초 정적 흐르고 바로 말 바꾸더니 100대 0 처리됨.

Turns out it's true that insurance adjusters are terrified of putting anything in writing.보험사 직원들 서면 근거 남기는 거 제일 무서워한다더니 진짜였음.

Don't just eat an unfair fault ratio — always demand it in writing first.억울하게 과실 먹지 말고 무조건 서면 요구부터 하길.

127 replies on the original11k votes on the original
Trending on a Korean communityView original ↗
💡 Why would an insurer even try lowballing a stopped-at-a-red-light rear-end?
Korean at-fault insurers often open with a lower fault ratio than the obvious 100:0, betting drivers won't know the industry's own fault-ratio guidelines well enough to push back.vs. the US: like an at-fault driver's insurer claiming you're 10% liable for being rear-ended, then caving the moment you ask for it in writing.Klore note
💡 Why did asking for a 'written statement' make him fold in 3 seconds?
Demanding a formal written justification forces the adjuster to put an indefensible position on record, which insurers avoid at all costs since it can be used against them later.vs. customer service anywhere: like saying 'can you confirm that in an email' and watching the excuse vanish.Klore note

What Koreans said

11 top comments on the original thread, translated
  1. 222 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    So this is how you stop them pulling shady tricks to dodge paying out even when it's 0% your fault.

    0인데도 보험금 안 주려고 개수작 부리는건 막을 수 있다 이거지

  2. 167 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Once that's in writing, it's on that employee personally, not the company. You think the company's gonna save him? lol

    저거 남기는 순간 회사 단위가 아니고 자기자신이 책임져야 됨 회사가 과연 저 사람을 구제해 줄까? ㅋㅋㅋ

  3. 108 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    If they were actually following the rules they'd have nothing to fear. But since they were just doing their shady usual thing, asking for legal basis in writing shuts them up instantly. And if they fake the docs, take it to the insurance association and they'll wreck them.

    저게 딱 규정대로 제대로 된거면 보험사 직원도 겁날게 없는데 야매 혹은 지들 관행대로 처리하려고 하는 거라 손보협회 기준 & 법적기준을 들어서 서면으로 달라고 하면 할말이 없어지거든. 만일 지들 관행에 맞춰 서류를 조작한다? 그거 들고 그대로 손보협회 가서 이거 맞아요? 물어보면 협회에서 조져줌.

Read all 11 translated repliesShow fewer replies
  1. 129 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Maybe it's because a written statement can be used to sue the employee directly?

    서면을 근거로 담당자를 고소할 수 있으니까 그런가?

  2. 112 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    At that point you're basically set up to sue. If it's clearly 100:0, might be worth taking to court.

    그때는 소송각 나오는거지모.. 100:0이면 소송도 해볼만하지않을까?

  3. 38 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Everywhere, paper = the strongest evidence, so they can't bullshit sloppily. You can misspeak, but written words don't get to claim 'mistake.'

    어딜가나 결국 '서류 = 가장 확실한 증거'라서, 어설프게 말 못 하기 때문 말은 실수 할 수 있는데, 종이에 써진 문자는 '실수'란 단어를 용납하질 않음

  4. 134 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Not 'trying not to pay' — more like 'trying to pay less.'

    안 주려고 → 덜 주려고

  5. 70 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Hard evidence is just scary like that.

    물증이라는 게 무섭지

  6. 29 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Law changed now — if it's clearly 100:0 and they still drag out the dispute, they get hit with extra fines for bad faith.

    그거 이제 법 바뀌어서 100인거 확실한데도 분쟁 벌리면 꽤심죄로 벌금만 더 커짐.

  7. 20 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Nah, if they wanted to not pay at all, they just wouldn't. They only 'pay less' when it's undeniable they owe the full thing.

    ㄴㄴ 안주고 싶으면 안줄 새끼들임 덜준다 같은 건 없어 줘야 하는 빼박 상황이니 덜준다지

  8. 19 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Getting it in writing makes it an official company document — like 'so this is your company's official stance?' — huge for media or legal fights later.

    서면으로 남기면 회사 공문서가 되니까 "이게 너희 회사의 공식 입장이란거지?" 하고선 언론제보든 법적 싸움이든 중요한 증거가 남기는 취지인듯

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