The aftermath of any car accident can be chaotic and confusing. However, the case becomes even more complex when multiple vehicles run into each other. If you suffer injuries in the crash, determining liability in multi-car collisions can be challenging.
A car accident attorney can help you unravel the accident, using facts they uncover in an investigation to determine fault and liability should you decide to file a lawsuit in pursuit of compensation for your injury.
The Multi-Car Collision Landscape
Although a sizable portion of car accidents involves two or fewer vehicles, the force on any single car can be significant when several vehicles crash into each other. Multi-car collisions are possible if you are traveling on roads with a lot of traffic congestion.
Chain Reactions and Domino Effects
Chain reaction accidents are a common reason multiple cars crash. Perhaps a line of stopped cars is waiting for a pedestrian to cross. If a driver approaching from the rear isn’t paying attention and hits the car at the back of the line, this action could push it forward into another car. Several cars may end up sustaining damage, potentially injuring more than one driver.
Because one event — the first driver’s lack of awareness — caused the collision and set off a domino effect, determining liability in multi-car collisions like this may be easier. However, not all such crashes are as clear-cut.
Increased Complexity of Fault Determination
If a truck driver loses improperly secured cargo, other drivers may swerve to avoid a crash with items falling to the road. However, this sudden, unexpected movement could cause an accident or make other drivers swerve and collide. Suddenly, you have injuries in a multi-car collision that no one directly involved in the crash caused. Such crashes are extremely difficult to investigate.
Investigating Fault in Multi-Car Crashes
After a multiple-car crash in which you suffered injuries, you might hire a car accident lawyer. Determining how long an injury claim takes to settle often depends on the lawyer’s ability to investigate the case and accurately determine fault.
Identifying the Initial Cause
Your attorney will follow several steps to begin investigating the case to find the root cause of the multiple-car accident, including:
- Reviewing the police report
- Taking witness statements
- Seeking any video or photos
- Studying the damage to each vehicle
- Speaking with accident reconstructionists
- Visiting the accident site to learn of any hazards, such as improper signage or damage to roadways
- Looking at the weather and environmental conditions at the time of the crash
Once your attorney has the facts in hand, finding the original cause of the accident becomes easier.
Subsequent Collisions and Contributing Factors
When determining liability in multi-car collisions, the initial cause of the accident may not fully explain who is at fault. Perhaps another driver could have avoided hitting you as the chain reaction started, but that driver was looking at their smartphone instead of watching the road for hazards.
If a lower-level driver’s actions led to the crash becoming worse and involving more vehicles, that driver could also be at fault.
Key Factors in Assigning Liability
The key factors in determining fault in multi-car collisions are similar to those in typical two-car crashes. Although the investigation may be more complex when more cars are involved, assigning liability follows similar principles.
Driver Actions and Behaviors
Driver negligence looks similar whether the accident involves one, two, or multiple vehicles, including:
- Speeding
- Reckless driving
- Failing to signal lane changes
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Texting and driving
Such behaviors often lead to a traffic ticket or a criminal charge. However, even if the police don’t find that a driver violated traffic laws, the driver’s actions could be reckless enough to cause the accident.
Environmental Factors
Environmental factors are common causes of collisions involving multiple cars. A foggy morning or a heavy afternoon thunderstorm can reduce visibility, causing drivers to fail to see a hazard, leading to a chain reaction pileup. Road construction can cause similar problems.
Drivers must consider environmental conditions and slow down to avoid being found at fault in a multi-car collision in poor weather or in a road construction zone.
Vehicle Condition
If someone is operating a vehicle in poor condition, such as with malfunctioning brakes, this could be the primary cause of the injury. A car that cannot stop in time could cause a chain reaction crash at a stoplight.
Perhaps a trucking company did not properly maintain its vehicle, causing a blown tire. If that truck driver then hit multiple cars, causing injuries, the trucking company could be to blame.
Comparative Negligence Laws
Many states follow comparative negligence laws when victims seek injury awards. Comparative negligence states that a victim whose actions contributed to the crash could see a reduction in any financial award equal to the percentage of fault for the accident. Should a victim be 50% or more at fault for the accident, the victim loses the ability to seek any award.
When determining liability in multi-car collisions, calculating accurate percentages for comparative fault is a key part of investigating the accident.
Variations Across Jurisdictions
Although many states have comparative negligence laws, some abide by contributory negligence laws. In situations like this, an injury victim who is at fault in any way for the accident cannot collect any financial award. Understanding the rules in your state is extremely important before filing an injury lawsuit.
Impact on Damage Recovery
Insurance claims become significantly more complex when multiple vehicles and comparative negligence are part of the equation. An insurance company may use the investigation to assign you a bigger percentage of fault for the crash. It can then reduce the amount it has to pay you.
Your lawyers will conduct their own investigation, looking for facts that show you had little or no fault in causing the accident.
In a large financial settlement, a slight change in the percentage of comparative negligence assigned to you could represent a significant amount of money.
Evidence Gathering for Liability Determination
Because determining liability in multi-car collisions is crucial in assigning a dollar amount to the financial award you could win, car accident injury attorneys must sometimes work tirelessly on their investigations. Gathering evidence about how the accident happened and who is at fault can be a challenge in a crash involving multiple vehicles. Your attorneys’ level of experience with injury accidents is extremely helpful during the investigation.
Police Reports and Scene Documentation
The police report is often a starting point for your attorneys’ investigation into a multi-vehicle accident. Police officers visit the scene immediately after the accident and provide diagrams of the vehicles’ positions. They may also note any environmental factors that contributed to the accident.
They may issue traffic tickets to certain drivers, which can be vital evidence in determining fault.
Witness Statements
Witnesses who were involved in the crash or were bystanders can provide key information on what happened leading up to the accident. Your attorneys’ investigation involves speaking to as many witnesses as possible.
Traffic Camera and Dashcam Footage
The investigation of any crash involves seeking video evidence from passive and active video sources, such as:
- Vehicle dashcams
- Traffic cameras at intersections
- Doorbell cameras on a residential street
- Security cameras facing the street at businesses
- Any smartphone video of the crash
Having the ability to source video when determining liability in complex multi-car collisions can be vital in showing exactly what happened. It’s far easier for your attorneys to source this video when you reach out to them and hire them as quickly as possible after the crash. If you wait too long, the camera owner may delete the video before your attorneys can retrieve it.
Seeking Legal Assistance
After involvement in a multi-car crash, hiring car accident injury attorneys can be especially helpful. Injury attorneys deal with crashes like this every day, and this experience helps them explain every option available. They advise you as an accident victim about what you should do.
Benefits of an Attorney in Complex Cases
Assigning fault can be a source of major disputes in crashes involving multiple cars. If the insurance companies refuse to accept fault for their clients, your attorneys’ investigation can uncover facts that help prove liability. When faced with these facts, the insurance company may change course and accept fault.
Understanding Legal Options
If you are going through an injury lawsuit for the first time, it can be extremely difficult to understand all your options from a legal standpoint. You may be unsure about your rights in disputing the insurance company’s findings. You may not know the steps required or the deadlines you need to meet to file a car accident injury lawsuit.
When you need help understanding your legal options for determining liability in multi-car collisions, the team at Sadaka Law is ready. Our team gives a voice to those who suffered injuries because of someone else’s negligence. Contact us today at (800) 810-3457 to discuss your situation and determine your rights and responsibilities moving forward from this potentially life-altering event.
