With more than 272 million cars on the road at any moment, getting into a crash is inevitable. Sometimes, an accident will involve multiple vehicles, resulting in serious and catastrophic injuries. The injuries from a multi-vehicle car accident are often painful and force everyone involved to alter their standard of living.
In a typical two-car accident, the “at fault” driver is responsible for any damages that his or her negligence caused. However, in a multi-car accident, there are often several parties to blame. As such, establishing liability can be more difficult, often involving an extensive investigation that is best handled by an experienced law firm.
Determining Liability After a Chain Reaction Car Accident
Since liability is often difficult to establish after a multi-vehicle accident, insurance companies will contest liability and point fingers at the other drivers involved in the crash.
In many cases, a driver is only at fault for part of the accident. For example, when approaching an intersection, you could fail to hit your brakes in time, slamming into the car in front of you. As a result, the car behind you hits you, and a motorcyclist behind them is unable to stop and slides his or her bike on the pavement. In this scenario, you would share blame for the first part of the crash, but not necessarily the events that happened afterward.
An experienced attorney can help you investigate and determine who is at fault after a chain-reaction car accident. This information can then be used when entering into negotiations with an insurance company.
How to Assess a Multi-Vehicle Car Accident
It is not always easy to assess multi-vehicle car accidents and assign blame. Establishing liability is a complex process that often involves an extensive investigation. Your lawyer will need to establish a chain of liability clearly. To do this, he or she will:
- Examine police reports
- Review and gather evidence
- Examine the crash site and damage
- Interview eyewitnesses
- Talk with experts
- Employ forensic experts
- Hire accident reconstruction teams
An accident may appear to be one big crash. However, after an investigation, you may discover that it was actually two or three separate accidents. Until your lawyer can establish liability, insurance companies will be reluctant to pay.
Contact Our New Jersey Auto Accident Lawyers Today!
If you were injured in a multi-car accident, then it is important to speak to an experienced New Jersey auto accident lawyer as soon as you can. There may be numerous parties responsible for your accident and injuries. In many cases, you might even share some of the blame.
At Rosenr Law Offices, P.C., our New Jersey auto accident lawyers are here to help you recover compensation after a multi-vehicle crash. We look forward to learning more about your situation and will address all of your concerns. Contact us today at (856) 502-1655 to schedule a free case evaluation. We are here to help!