Determining responsibility in crashes that involve more than two cars or vehicles can be extremely tricky. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly one-third of all accidents are multiple-vehicle crashes, also called “pile-ups.” These types of accidents can be far more dangerous than collisions between two cars. The more vehicles involved, the more metal, gasoline, glass, and other dangerous hazards will be involved. This increases your chances of sustaining significant, even deadly injuries. If you are involved in a multi-vehicle crash, it’s important to realize that the responsibility for the incident could come from multiple sources.
There are many different ways a multiple vehicle incident can be caused, and therefore liability can vary. In some instances, a singular vehicle may make a mistake, causing multiple cars to crash into one another from behind. Situations like this one may hold only one person liable, however, sometimes other drivers may make mistakes that could make them somewhat responsible for any resulting damage.
Most multiple car accidents occur when one car stops suddenly, causing the car behind them to rear-end them, which may lead the third car to rear-end the second car, and so on. Sometimes liability for these types of crashes is determined by how many impacts each driver feels. In other words, if the driver of the vehicle in the front of the crash feels 2 bumps, he or she was likely harmed by the impact of 2 cars, and both of those drivers could be considered liable for causing damage.
As with any other type of motor vehicle accident, liability may also be determined by the circumstances of the crash and witness accounts. In some cases, accident reconstruction experts may evaluate the known facts about the crash and attempt to determine what caused the accident and determine liability. Police reports, photographs of the scene, as well as witness accounts can certainly help this process.
If you or someone you love was involved in a multi-vehicle accident, it is important that you take immediate legal action. Multiple vehicle accidents can be difficult to handle in terms of liability, and seeking compensation for your damages when you were not at fault can be problematic without reliable legal representation.
To discuss your accident and schedule a free consultation with our personal injury lawyers, contact Sico Hoelscher Harris LLP.