Multi-Car Pile-Ups
How severely a person is injured in a car crash depends on a series of factors, such as the speed at which the car was traveling prior to impact. However, there are certain types of car accidents, including multi-car pile-ups, that are notorious for resulting in particularly serious injuries. Treating accident-related injuries can quickly become prohibitively expensive, making it especially important for those who were injured as a result of another person’s negligence to seek compensation from the responsible parties. Unfortunately, dealing with another person’s insurance company, entering into negotiations, or filing a claim in court can be time-consuming and difficult, so if you were recently injured in a multi-vehicle collision, it is crucial to contact an experienced car accident attorney who can explain your legal options.
Injury Factors
The severity of an injury sustained in a car crash depends largely on a few specific factors, including:
- The number of vehicles involved in the crash;
- The size of the cars involved in the collision;
- The age and general health of the occupants; and
- Whether the passengers were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
Multi-vehicle collisions usually result in serious injuries, in large part because the high number of vehicles involved in these types of accidents causes passengers to suffer a series of impacts, often at high speeds.
Multi-Car Pile-Up Causes
Like any car accident, multi-vehicle collisions can occur at any time and in a number of different situations. However, these types of accidents usually involve at least one of the following issues:
- Distracted driving;
- Drowsy driving;
- Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol;
- High traffic density;
- Poor weather;
- Rubbernecking;
- Speeding; and
- Tailgating.
Generally, any type of distraction poses a risk to other drivers on the road, specifically distractions that:
- Take one’s eyes off of the road;
- Take one’s hands off of the wheel; or
- Take one’s mind off of driving.
Some activities, such as texting, are especially dangerous because they involve all three types of distractions and put drivers at risk of causing multi-car pile-ups.
Establishing Liability
It can be difficult to prove who was at fault in causing a multi-car pile-up because more than one negligent party could have contributed to the collision. For example, if one driver was texting and crashed into the car in front of her, she could be held responsible for resulting injuries. However, if the car behind that driver failed to brake in time to avoid crashing into the first accident, he or she could also bear some of the responsibility for both parties’ injuries.
Fortunately, even when injured parties contribute to their accidents, they may still be able to collect compensation from the other negligent parties. This is because Florida enacted a legal theory known as comparative negligence, which allows plaintiffs who were injured in an accident involving multiple negligent parties to collect damages in an amount decreased by their own percentage of fault.
Call us Today to Discover How an Experienced Car Accident Attorney Can Help
To learn more about collecting compensation for your accident-related injuries, please contact Boone & Davis by calling 954-566-9919 or by initiating a live chat with a dedicated Fort Lauderdale car accident attorney.
Resource:
crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/811162
