Who is At Fault in a Multiple Vehicle Pileup?

Car Accident Lawyer

It can happen in an instant, before you know it, you have been involved in a car accident that involves multiple vehicles. Accidents involving multiple vehicles usually involve three or more cars and are most likely to occur in areas with heavy traffic. What may be especially confusing when faced with this type of accident, is determining who can be held accountable. If you have experienced a car accident involving multiple vehicles, and have are facing damages, it may be a good idea to retain legal representation from a car accident lawyer. They may have the ability to sort through your case in efforts to help determine which parties can be held accountable for your injuries.

Typical Rear-End Collisions

When two cars are in a collision, most of the time, the car responsible is the driver who rear-ended the car in front of them. A rear-end collision that involves only two drivers can be much easier to sort out. As the driver who was rear-ended, you know that the driver behind you is likely to be at fault for the accident. Generally, when pursuing an accident claim, you will know who to file the accident claim against. In cases involving more than one vehicle, the process of determining fault can be even more complicated. 

Determining the Liable Party

Knowing who to file your claim against if you were injured in an accident may be especially confusing when there were multiple vehicles involved in a car crash. In most cases, a multiple car pile-up is the result of one or more vehicles failing to stop in time. Usually, the car that stopped, but was still hit, is not considered at fault. If a vehicle was rear-ended and then pushed into the car in front of them, it’s important to be aware that the vehicle who rear-ended the original car would be the responsible party. Your car accident lawyer can work closely with you to gather as much evidence as possible to support your accident claim. The at-fault driver, or their insurance company may be responsible for covering your damages that resulted from the accident. 

Proving Fault

In order to obtain damages for the multiple vehicle pileup that you were in, your lawyer will need to gather evidence that supports your case. A lawyer will ensure that the following elements are present:

  • Duty of Care
  • Breach of Duty of Care
  • Damages
  • Causation

Often a lawyer will seek to prove all of these key elements by gathering as much evidence as possible. This may include:

  • Expert Witnesses
  • Photographs of the Scene
  • Medical Documentation 
  • Police Reports

Evidence can help to establish that each element to proving your claim was present, in addition to proving that the responsible driver(s) are held accountable. 

Are you dealing with ongoing medical care as the result of a multiple-vehicle pileup? Has your ability to work been impacted? As an accident victim, you shouldn’t have to shoulder this burden alone. Contact a Woodland Hills car accident lawyer to schedule a complimentary consultation today.

Thanks to Barry P. Goldberg for their insight into personal injuries and determining fault in a multi-car pileup accident.