If someone hits my car from behind after I have stopped behind another car at a perdestrian crossing causing me to hit the car in front of me who pays for the damages to the cars?

Answer 1

You are responsible to the driver of the car you hit for the damage caused to their vehicle because you are supposed to be in control of your vehicle at all times and technically you were stopped too closely to the car in front of you. You may however be able to recoup your losses from the driver who hit you; and of course the driver who hit you is responsible for the damages to your vehicle caused by their vehicle. ADDED: I DISAGREE with the initial response. The person who hit you, thereby causing your car to collide with the one in front of you, is ultimately At Fault for all damages. There are no statutes of which I am aware that mandate a distance which you must keep from the vehicle in front of you while stopped in traffic. While it IS true that you are obligated to have your vehicle under control, WHILE YOU ARE OPERATING IT, you are not expected to have it under your complete control after being unexpectedly struck as a result of a traffic collision. RESPONSE: The source of my response is what I have always been taught in various law and operator safety classes, but in any case this should probably move to the discussion section; for the record, most states do have laws regarding 'following too closely.' All that said I am by no means an expert in law and my answer represents my best attempts to restate the knowledge I have and the research I did; if faulty I apologize and suggest the answer be changed completely from this discussion to an absolute answer.