Who is Liable when Multiple Vehicles are Involved?
Car crashes run the gamut of involvement. From single-car wrecks to those involving dozens. Multi-car pileup accidents are common enough that we should address how these cases are handled.
Keep in mind that because the more vehicles involved, the more complicated the case becomes, the more likely you will want to have a car crash lawyer on your side. That’s why the Car Crash Captain serves the people of Texas: to ensure that injured victims receive the compensation they need to heal.
How do Multi-Car Pileups Happen?
Whenever three, or more, vehicles are involved in a wreck it is considered to be a multi-vehicle collision. Most often when we talk about a multi-car pileup we are talking about a massive wreck that involves a lot of vehicles. Let’s talk about how they happen, and then we’ll look at figuring out who is liable.
Snow and Ice – One of the biggest culprits of these massive wrecks is the fact that snow and ice make it difficult to maintain control of your vehicle. Every winter, around the US, there are reports of huge wrecks that involve dozens of vehicles. One loses control, and many more are quick to follow; especially when visibility is reduced and speeds are too high.
Impaired Driver – A single driver that’s impaired (we’re lumping in distracted here as well) can end up causing mayhem as well. If there’s a line of vehicles stopped and an impaired or distracted driver doesn’t see them, the result can be a lot of vehicles involved in the multi-car pileup accident.
Road Hazards – Similar to weather related conditions, road hazards can throw off the average driver. Debris, potholes, or anything else that happens to be in the lane can result in a vehicle swerving to miss the item, but smashing into other vehicles.
Careless, or Reckless, Driving – Lumping the rest together into a catch-all of just bad driving. Speeding, taking risks, road-raging, and more can be a recipe for losing control of the vehicle and damaging other peoples’ property.
There are many causes of multi-car pileup accidents. They’re often the same as wrecks involving just one or two vehicles, but there just happens to be more traffic on the road at the time.
Who is at Fault in a Multi-Car Pileup Accident?
There are two ways that parties can be at fault during these big wrecks involving numerous vehicles.
Every driver might be at fault. In the case of a big pile up of vehicles sliding on ice and snow, it is likely that every one of them was driving too fast for conditions. Yes, there are exceptions, but in many instances slowing down could have avoided a wreck.
The first vehicle might be at fault. If a vehicle swerves to avoid a pothole, and sideswipes a dozen cars before coming to a stop, the person that swerved would likely be found at fault.
The only way to determine who is at fault is to take into account all of the evidence. Which is what Herbert Law Group specializes in.
Find Justice with Herbert Law Group
If you were the victim of a crash, whether it involved two vehicles or twenty vehicles, you deserve to receive compensation that covers your property loss and helps you heal from your injuries. Most of the time the insurance companies will not offer a settlement that adequately does so.
Herbert Law Group provides legal services for those in Texas who have been injured in car crashes; no matter how many cars were involved. Let us help you push back against low-ball insurance offers. Call 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form on our site and we’ll have a free chat to see how we can help.