Who is at fault if a car in front of you hits the car in front of him and ricochets back to hit your already stopped car making it look like you rear ended him?

Answer 1

Generally you would be considered not At Fault in this incidence. If you were too close though, there may be an investigation and you could be considered 50% at fault. * Accident investigators use a method known as the "chain of causation" this lets them determine which individuals are responsible for which damages. Usually the last vehicle in motion is the one responsible for the accident. However, a definite answer to the question would not be possible without knowing all the mitigating facts. There is only momentum in one direction in this situation so the center car could not "ricochet back". If the driver in the first car felt two bumps, the second car is responsible for damage to the first car and the third for the damage to the rear of the second. If the front driver felt only one impact, the third driver is responsible for the entire accident.