Follow TV Tropes

Following

Playing With / Staged Pedestrian Accident

Go To

Basic Trope: A character deliberately jumps in front of a car in order to fake injuries and sue the driver.

  • Straight: Alice jumps in front of Bob's car, and sues Bob for injuries.
  • Exaggerated:
    • Alice walks into a unmoving car, throws herself to the ground, and does a series of ridiculously over-the-top spasms.
    • Alice deliberately gets herself killed so her family can sue as well as collect life insurance.
    • The lawsuit is a collusive one, both Alice and Bob staged the crash and plan to split the insurance payment.
  • Downplayed: Alice was hit by the car but not hurt. When she later gets hurt in an unrelated incident, she claims that the injuries were from the crash.
  • Justified: Amid the chaos, it's hard to tell exactly what happened; all that's known is that someone went across the hood of a car and is now lying on the ground, apparently injured.
  • Inverted: Bob deliberately runs Alice over.
  • Subverted:
    • Bob convinces the courts that Alice caused the accident, but he was lying, it was his fault all along.
    • Alice and Bob are stunt actors in a Summer Blockbuster; although not really injured, Alice jumps onto the hood of the car because her character is being run over in a chase scene.
  • Double Subverted:
    • Bob did lie to the courts to cover up his reckless driving, but he was right that Alice caused the crash.
    • Alice then sues Bob and the producers, claiming he hit her for real.
  • Parodied: Alice jumps in front of Bob's car... while it's sitting still in a parking lot. She still tries to sue for potential injuries.
  • Zig Zagged: Many witness tell different stories about how the crash happened, with some saying Alice did it, and other saying it was Bob's fault.
  • Averted: Alice doesn't jump out in front of Bob's car, or get run over by him.
  • Enforced: The instructional film was commissioned by Hiller and Franksen Car Insurance to educate their employees on recognizing these kind of scams.
  • Lampshaded: "Oh, I don't work. I jump out in front of cars and then sue the drivers."
  • Invoked: Alice lost her job, and is facing overdue bills, and the possibility of being evicted from her apartment. She needs money fast, and decides that the way to do that is through a con.
  • Exploited:
  • Defied: Alice worries about going to Prison, and what happens if she gets run over for real one day? She decides that she'll just borrow money from her sister.
  • Discussed: ???
  • Conversed: "I thought that car crash looked unrealistic. Turns out it was deliberate."
  • Played for Drama: Alice lets herself get hit to stop a convoy carrying valuable goods, a dangerous prisoner, or an important figure, and set up an ambush.
  • Untwisted': Alice apologizes profusely until bystander Charlie accuses Bob. Turns out Alice and Charlie where working together all along.

Back to Staged Pedestrian Accident

Top