There are a variety of extreme car accidents that lead to serious injury or death. Many car accidents involve not just two vehicles, but several. These multiple-car collisions tend to cause more severe injuries and are more catastrophic overall. They oftentimes happen on highways or interstates where there are a lot of vehicles traveling at high rates of speed. Inherently, multiple-car pile-ups or collisions make it more challenging and difficult to prove fault, and therefore, it becomes more complicated to determine liability. If you were involved in a multiple-car collision, the following will help you learn more about how to determine fault and liability.
Factors to Determine Fault in Multiple-Car Collisions
Proving liability is critical to determining which party, or parties, will remain responsible for compensating victims for any injuries or property damage that resulted from the accident. Many insurance companies will try to remove any type of guilt regarding their insured person immediately. There are, however, some factors that will be used by an independent investigation to determine liability and negligence when multiple car collisions occur, including:
- What caused the initial impact?
- Did any of the drivers violate any state or federal driving regulations, road signs or rules of the road?
- Was any driver operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol?
- Did any driver rear-end another driver?
- Did any driver attempt to make a left-hand turn?
- Did the Highway Patrol or police do a reconstruction of the wreck to determine fault?
- Did the police issue any citations at the accident scene?
- Did any traffic lights or neighboring businesses capture the accident through video footage?
- How were the cars positioned when they were stopped?
- Did any car or commercial truck have a “black box” (known as an “event data recorder”) that would have recorded critical information critical such as speeds and sudden braking events?
- What was the damage of all the vehicles?
- What were the road conditions at the time of the accident? Were potholes or road construction present? Was there bad weather at the time of the accident?
Expert Witnesses
Multiple-car pile-up automobile accidents often require an accident reconstruction specialist to evaluate the accident and determine liability based on forensic evidence. Many seasoned personal injury attorneys will be able to access an accident reconstruction expert who can better determine which driver, or drivers, were at fault for the accident through this forensic evidence and through their expertise. In some cases, even the local or state government may be guilty of failing to install or maintain appropriate or properly functioning traffic signs, or a public agency may be guilty of failing to remove obstacles from the roadways after a construction project.
Contact an Experienced Car Accident Attorney
If you suffered any injuries or damages due to a multiple-car collision, you should seek the advice of an experienced car accident attorney who can help ensure that those responsible for the accident are held liable for their negligence. Contact an experienced car accident attorney at Griggs Injury Law at (816) 474-0202 today to find out how we can help you build a strong personal injury case, and make sure that those responsible compensate you for your injuries and losses.
