Oklahoma Multiple Vehicle Accident Attorneys
What is a Multiple Vehicle Pileup?
Car accidents happen every day out on the roadways, and while a single car accident involving two vehicles is dangerous, when there are multi-car crashes, the damages can become much greater. Multiple vehicle pileups are also known as chain reaction accidents or multi-car collisions. They occur any time multiple vehicles get into an accident that results in additional cars becoming involved in the accident as well.
Multi-car crashes come with a higher risk of injury or death to the drivers, passengers, and any pedestrians nearby. Additionally, they have an increased chance of more damage done to one’s vehicle due to the number of cars running into one another.
How Do I Prove Liability in a Multi-Car Pileup?
In typical car accident cases involving two drivers, if a driver rear-ends another driver, the driver behind is usually at fault because they didn’t break in time at an adequately safe distance. When it comes to multi-car crashes, proving fault is much more difficult due to the sheer number of vehicles involved. In many cases, the fault may not even be just one driver alone, but rather a shared fault between multiple drivers.
A multi-car crash can be caused by a number of factors including low visibility from poor weather conditions such as fog, rain or snow, slippery roads causing someone to skid into another vehicle, driver error or distracted driving, speeding, reckless driving, intoxication, or insignificant break time.
Police will be called to the scene and the insurance company may send their own investigators to examine the accident. Drivers will be interviewed to make sure they were not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and also questioned about what happened that may have caused the accident. Additionally, police may question other passengers or witnesses in the area. Police and investigators will look for the same signs listed above that could have potentially caused the accident before making any determination of who is the guilty party.
Comparative Fault for Multi-Car Crash Cases
In many instances involving multi-car crash cases, there may not be one driver at fault, but rather a combination of drivers who caused the mass collision. In this case, comparative fault may be applied. Comparative fault, also known as comparative negligence, means that each party will be awarded a certain amount of damages proportionate to their level of fault in the accident. For example, if one driver is found to have been 40% responsible for causing the accident, whatever compensation awarded to him will be reduced by 40%.
What to Know Before Filing a Claim with Your Insurance Company
When it comes time to file your claim with the insurance company, you’ll need to have all your facts ready. Gather any police reports and a detailed list of damages to your car. You should make sure you have sufficient liability coverage because if you are found to be at-fault for the accident, you’ll be glad you have your insurance to cover the costs and expenses other drivers may sue you for.
Additionally, it is also important for you to know whether your insurance company is a no-fault one. No-fault insurance means that your insurance company will cover the damages to your car regardless of who is found at fault. When it comes to multi-car crashes, this is important to know because there are many times when it cannot be determined which driver is liable for the accident. Therefore, if your insurance is no-fault, finding the guilty driver is irrelevant.
However, only 12 states currently offer this no-fault insurance, so if you are in a state that does not have it, you’ll need to determine with the police and insurance company who is liable for the accident.
Preparing to Face the Insurance Company with the Proper Legal Help
Dealing with your insurance company is never easy, especially when it comes to cases like multi-car crashes. If you are confused and feeling overwhelmed by the situation at hand, do not panic. At Car Accident Help, we are a team of highly-trained legal Oklahoma car accident attorneys who are prepared to provide you with the assistance you’ll need when dealing with a multiple vehicle collision case. Give us a call today at (405)-285-4357 and learn more about how we can help.
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