Collision Liability and Proximate Cause Determination

A plaintiff sued the defendant for damages resulting from a collision, arguing the defendant was solely at fault for violating traffic regulations by failing to maintain the required stopping distance. The defendant countered by asserting contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff, claiming the plaintiff's excessive speed prevented avoidance of the accident, despite the defendant's initial violation. The court, however, upheld the trial court's finding that the defendant's failure to maintain a safe stopping distance was the proximate and sole cause of the accident, concluding that the plaintiff's speed, even if slightly excessive, was not a contributing factor because the accident would have occurred regardless of the plaintiff's speed due to the defendant's initial, decisive breach of traffic law.