Bumped someone at an automatic car wash — am I actually at fault here??

Oh wow, I had something semi-similar happen at a parking garage — automated equipment malfunctioned and my car rolled into a pillar. Everyone kept saying "well YOU were in the car" but eventually it came out that the system had a documented fault. The business tried to dodge it hard but there were prior complaints on record. Definitely look into whether that wash has had other incidents reported.

Not legal advice, but this is genuinely a premises liability / equipment negligence question, not just a standard rear-end analysis. If the conveyor system malfunctioned, the business could share or hold primary liability. The key is evidence — surveillance footage from the wash bay is gold here and businesses often overwrite it fast. I'd make a written request for preservation ASAP. Not legal advice.

Whatever you do, don't just let your own insurer handle this without pushing back. They may just eat the fault assignment because it's easier for them — not because it's actually correct. You could end up with a surcharge on your premium for something that wasn't your doing. Be vocal that you believe the equipment failed.

I used to work claims and honestly? Car wash malfunctions are more common than people think, and businesses absolutely carry commercial liability coverage for exactly this kind of thing. The tricky part is getting them to admit the equipment did anything wrong. Document everything right now — photos of both vehicles, your receipt or any app confirmation you were there, and if there were any employees who witnessed the lurch, get their names. That detail matters later.

Please go get checked out. I know it feels minor but a sudden jolt — even a low-speed one — can cause soft tissue strain that doesn't fully announce itself until 24-48 hours later. Waiting makes it harder to connect medically and honestly just harder on your body too. Even an urgent care visit creates a record. Don't tough it out.

A few things worth doing right now: (1) Write down a detailed account of exactly what happened while it's fresh — timeline, what you felt, what the employees said afterward. (2) Ask the car wash for a copy of the incident report if they made one. (3) Check if there are Google or Yelp reviews mentioning track problems — prior complaints can establish a pattern. This stuff seems tedious but it matters enormously if this goes anywhere.

Genuine question — did any of the employees at the wash acknowledge that anything unusual happened? Like did they seem surprised, or did they just shrug it off? That reaction matters a lot in terms of whether they were already aware of an issue with the equipment.

The fact that you're asking these questions early is actually a really good sign. A lot of people just accept the fault assignment and move on, then find out months later they had real options. You're already ahead of that.

Get that surveillance footage request in writing TODAY. Businesses aren't required to hold it indefinitely and most systems loop every few days. That footage could literally be the difference between proving the equipment failed and having nothing. Everything else is secondary to that right now.