in the matter of Stokes vs.
Garner, step forward.
>> Announcer: Charles Stokes
is suing fellow motorist
21-year-old Cynthia Garner
for rear-ending him on the road.
>> Judge Judy: This accident
happened when?
>> Your Honor, it happened on
August the 31st
at approximately 11:00
or 10 minutes to 11:00 on 2017.
>> Judge Judy: In the morning
or in the evening?
>> In the evening.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
And what you're alleging is that
you were driving
down the street.
You were driving at a safe
speed, that a child
and a dog came out from...
>> Correct, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy:
You didn't see them.
You slammed on your brakes,
and the
defendant hit you in the rear.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy: And you want her
to be responsible
for the damage to your car.
>> Correct.
>> Judge Judy:
On August 31st of this year,
did you have insurance
on your car?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy:
Who did you have insurance with?
>> Progressive.
>> Judge Judy: Did you attempt
to contact Progressive Insurance
since the defendant hit you
in the rear?
>> I did, Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: And what happened
with that?
>> Progressive stated to me
they felt that...
>> Judge Judy:
You must have a letter
from them.
>> I do not.
They would not send me
any correspondence.
At that time, I had an attorney,
and the attorney released...
>> Judge Judy: What did you have
an attorney for?
>> Well, I retained an attorney
after I initially talked
with Progressive,
and Progressive,
they were not responding back
to me in a timely manner.
>> Judge Judy: Well, that's
a mistake.
It is your contention that you
were driving
at a safe speed behind him
and that somebody else hit you
from behind,
and you, therefore, hit him.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
>> Ay: It is your
contention that you were driving
at a safe speed behind him
and that somebody else hit you
from behind,
and you, therefore, hit him.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: You have
a police report?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: I'd like
to see the police report.
Ms. Garner, you say in your
answer
that a car hit you in the rear,
causing you
to go into the defendant.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And you say that
the police were there,
and there was glass
on the ground.
It doesn't say that
in the police report,
glass on the ground
from where the car hit you.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: It doesn't say
that in the police report.
That would be something
that would be important because
we have two different stories.
We have a story of "I stopped
short.
The car behind me was not
traveling sufficiently behind me
to stop
and hit me in the rear."
Your defense would be
a reasonable one if there was,
in fact, somebody who hit you.
It would be a chain reaction,
but there's no evidence of that
in the police report.
>> I do have a witness.
My father came after
I called him
and after I called the police,
and he saw
the glass on the ground.
>> Judge Judy: Why don't you
show me
a picture of the rear end
of your car where it was hit?
I can't see anything here.
>> I have a better picture
on my phone
if you would like to see.
>> Judge Judy: I would.
What are you showing me,
the tear in here?
>> The tail, and then the second
picture is the one of the bumper
where the car scratched
my bumper at it.
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
I'd like to see the back end
of your car.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy:
Just the back end.
That's all I want to see.
I want to see the back end
of your car.
I mean, the damage to the back
end of your car, whatever it is,
it looks like a scratch.
>> Mm-hmm.
>> Judge Judy: A scratch
is consistent
with being tapped on the back.
This threw his whole car
out of whack.
That would be consistent
with a heavy jolt,
so if you came to a complete
stop,
how do you jolt into his car
like this?