Driving & Driving Test Tips: rear end accident, smooth asphalt, mitsubishi eclipse

Question
Hello Mark,
 My 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse (approx 3000lbs.) was stopped at a red light on smooth asphalt on a rainy day and rear ended by a '97 Dodge Neon (approx 1200 lbs.), which ten pushed my car into the '04 Pontiac Sedan in front of me.  The speed limit was 40mph.  The guy who hit me told the officer that his brakes failed.  My bumper was really banged up and needed new absorbers, reinforcements, unibody, muffler, lights and housings.  My license plate was bent.  My front bumper needed some repair, too.  The lady in front of me--her rear bumper had some damage.  The guy who hit me's car was totally smashed or crumpled, and when he opened his driver's side door, the door's window which was shattered like a spider's web, fell to the ground into a million pieces.  I have read about the delta G and t .  I took good pictures of my bumpers.  His car was totaled.  Based on your knowledge and what I have written here---what can an expert ascertain about this accident?  I went for therapy and when I stop, my back begins hurting again. I finally got an MRI and it showed that I have 3 mildly bulging discs in my lower back.  It is my thorasic area which hurts a lot though.  I am afraid of those lower discs herniating so I am afraid of doing the wrong exercises, etc.  I used to be able to do back bends before the accident, but am scared to do this now.

Answer
If you feel that you are not being compensated enough, this is a case you can take to a civil attorney for evaluation and he will have a reconstructionist that can evaluate this for the speeds.  needless to say the driver that hit you was negligent wither in his attention or not taking care of his vehicle maintenance.

I would not be able to calculate the speeds involved just with this information.  A recon would need to see the damage to the respective vehicles, get an estimate of distances between vehicles, etc.  But the bottom line is you were hit at a speed that could have caused an injury to you.