insurance company denying the laws of physics

[helpmetoo]

i was the last car involved in a multiple pile up

my contention is that i had allowed the correct stopping distance and had come to rest, when,

the car in front of me under newtons (cradle) effect came backwards and hit me

my insurers wont wear this

[Panic Button]

If it was the same consistency as a ball bearing or a snooker ball then you might have a case

[gouldc]

Hmm, I wouldn't consider this a valid argument if I was dealing with this claim.

Whilst I appreciate that braking forces mean that the front of the vehicle braking goes down and the back goes up, you must have been damn close when the impact occurred.

A safe braking distance should indicate that you are not left with milimetres to spare. The simple fact of the matter is that you were following too close for the conditions if you stopped within a gnat's pube of the other vehicle.

[Sasha13]

Think about a newtons cradle.

Ball A hits ball B, which hits ball C etc until ball F is hit. The only thing that makes this return back to hit E etc (i.e. resulting in ball A flying backwards) is the fact that ball F is on a bit of string.

What was making the car in front return back to close the gap between it and you?

You were too close.

[buildersmate]

Newtons Cradle just won't wash.
Cars are designed to adsorb energy of a collision, not rebound it. There's no way a vehicle involved in a frontal collision whilst all the vehicles are going in the same direction goes backwards post-collision due to rebounded energy.
You perhaps allowed enough thinking distance but not enough braking distance, given that the vehicle ahead of you was stopped well inside its normal braking distance (it crunched).
Try pulling the other one.

[buildersmate]

Whoops - absorb.

[helpmetoo]

mmmm,

thanks, spose you do have a point regarding energy absorbing bodywork

hey, it was worth a try!!

[Teddio]

This will only occur if the collision is elastic, as in Newton's Cradle. The bounce-back when cars collide is negligible since the collision is largely inelastic.