Whenever you are driving, there is always a chance you can get into an accident. Most minor collisions are relatively easy to handle, especially if it is quite obvious who the responsible party is. Others may not be so simple, especially if there are more than two cars involved. In a car accident involving multiple motor vehicles, there can be pile-ups where a number of cars crash into another. These accidents usually result in a number of serious injuries and they are generally very complex legal cases that require the expertise of an experienced car accident attorney.
What is Considered a Multiple Car Accident?
Multi-vehicle accidents commonly occur when more than two cars hit each other in a chain of rear-end accidents. Although they can be the result of a single driver’s negligence, chain reaction accidents may involve instances of carelessness by multiple drivers. Many people, including passengers in any of these cars, may sustain injuries. Therefore, litigating the resulting personal injury lawsuit can be particularly challenging.
If you are involved in a multiple vehicle accident, it is important to exchange insurance information with all the drivers involved, obtain witness contact information and contact the police to come to the scene and create a police report. You should try to obtain photographs of the scene, including skid marks, vehicle debris and property damage from multiple angles. If you are injured, you should contact a car accident attorney as soon as possible after the accident to make sure that all relevant evidence is immediately identified and documented.
Identifying Who is at Fault?
The biggest issue in chain reaction accidents is who was at fault? Pinpointing causation can be tricky from a factual perspective. In a case where a driver admits to being distracted and being the first car to rear-end another car in a line of cars, it may be appropriate to assign that driver 100% liability. Often, however, there are other issues at play: bad weather, road construction, another car accident, distracted driving, drunk driving, or aggressive driving.
An experienced car accident attorney will be able to investigate the accident and determine the at fault party based on the evidence. Fault in a multiple car accident could fall on all drivers. The driver who primarily caused the accident bears the largest share of fault. However, if other drivers contributed to the crash in some way, the court could assign each driver some portion of the fault. In a multiple-vehicle accident, determining who was negligent can sometimes present a challenge, as can collecting a fair financial settlement for any injuries you may have sustained. Your car accident attorney will be able to assist you with this very complex issue.
Dealing with the Insurance Company
As we stated before, multiple car accidents are very complex. It is important to remember that insurance companies work for profit. Their goal is to make as much money as possible. If they can deny your claim or reduce the amount of money that they give you, then they will be able to make more money. Insurance companies have the right to review a claim to make sure that it is valid. The purpose of the careful review is to reduce insurance fraud. Insurance companies do have a right to deny a claim. However, there are certain criteria that have to be met in order to deny a claim. An experienced car accident attorney understands all the tricks insurance companies use to try and deny or reduce claims.
Your car accident attorney will know how to negotiate with the insurance company. The insurance company may also deny a claim if the individual did not file a police report. The police report is used to determine who caused the accident. That is why gathering evidence is one of the most important things that you can do if you have been involved in an accident. You will need to keep a record of all of your treatments. You will also need to take photos at the multiple-car accident scene and get statements from witnesses. By having this information your experienced car accident attorney will be able to build a strong case.
Get a Free Multiple Car Accident Consultation
If you sustained severe injuries and other damages in a multiple car accident, you need to retain the services of an experienced car accident lawyer, especially if the issue of fault is in dispute. Insurance companies employ teams of adjusters and high-powered lawyers to reduce their liability. So, if you were involved in a multi-vehicle accident, you may have to fight to get the compensation you deserve.
If the other insurance companies allege you had fault for the accident, but you believe you did nothing negligent to contribute to the crash, talk to a car accident lawyer. They can examine the facts and review the available evidence in your case, and advise you of your options. Call our law offices today at any of our convenient locations and get a free consultation.
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