To determine who may be responsible for a multi-vehicle accident and how much fault each party may bear for the crash, it is important to carefully review the circumstances surrounding the accident. In many cases, an attorney will review copies of accident reports, police reports, statements from people involved in the crash, and eyewitness statements.
When multiple parties are involved in an accident, it is very common for there to be different, conflicting accounts of what caused the crash. This often occurs because every individual’s personal opinions and perspectives about the accident may make it difficult for them to remain subjective. However, in any type of motor vehicle accident, the last thing that many individuals want to do is to admit that they were at fault.
Instead of accepting the blame, they try to shift the blame to others involved in the accident. For example, a bicyclist who gets into an accident while turning left as the signal becomes red may claim that they had the right of way. On the other hand, someone else involved in the crash might blame the bike rider for trying to beat the signal’s red light.
Additionally, each party’s insurance company may try to shift the blame and avoid paying out the claim. In many situations, it can become intimidating to sort out the evidence in a negligence case involving multiple parties. To pursue personal injury claims, you may benefit from having an experienced lawyer on your side to guide you through the process.
Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney is an important decision if you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence and you want to pursue a legal claim for compensation.
Common Causes of Multi-Vehicle Crashes
Motor vehicle crashes that involve FedEx trucks or other freight vehicles can often become complicated because many companies and parties may have played a role in the accident. For example, in FedEx truck accidents, the truck drivers who work for FedEx may be pressured to deliver the packages quickly, resulting in careless actions that can contribute to catastrophic crashes. Likewise, an inexperienced worker loading a freight truck may have created an unbalanced load, which can also lead to a crash.
Multi-vehicle vehicle collisions can also include many points of impact, which can increase the risk of serious injuries for those involved. In some cases, these injuries can be fatal. Some of the most common causes of multi-vehicle crashes include:
- Distracted driving
Drivers who are distracted have higher chances of causing accidents that involve multiple vehicles. Common driver distractions may include using cell phones, adjusting radio and GPS, drinking, eating, and talking to other passengers in the vehicle.
- Tailgating
Drivers who follow other vehicles too closely may have comparatively less time to stop if the driver ahead of them brakes abruptly. This might cause chain reactions involving many vehicles.
- Speeding
Driving faster than is prudent may result in the loss of control of vehicles and rear-end crashes, which can contribute to multi-vehicle pileups. There is a much higher risk of a multi-vehicle crash on interstate highways, where vehicles often travel at high speeds.
- Impaired driving
Drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs may cause a driver to be less alert. This means that they might not react to things happening right ahead of them.
- Weather conditions
At times, multi-vehicle crashes can result from poor weather conditions, such as snow, rain, high winds, or fog. When such factors are combined with driver negligence, multi-vehicle crashes can occur.
- Driving while drowsy
Sleepy or fatigued drivers can doze off behind the wheel, which can increase the chances of dangerous crashes.
If a multi-vehicle accident resulted from driver negligence, those who are injured in the crash can seek compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, and property damage.
Injury Claims That Can Be Brought Against Multiple Defendants
In many cases, liability for a motor vehicle crash can extend to multiple parties. Some of the parties that may be liable include vehicle manufacturers, drivers, auto parts manufacturers, the entity responsible for maintaining the road and traffic signals, and trucking companies.
For example, let’s consider a truck driver who chooses not to undergo a compulsory vehicle inspection and does not notice that their truck has defective tires. This may result in a tire blow-out while the truck is on the road, causing a multi-vehicle accident that injures many others. In this case, liability might be attributed to the truck driver who failed to properly maintain the vehicle and the tire company that manufactured the faulty equipment.
If you have been injured in an accident involving a truck or another large vehicle as a result of someone else’s negligence, contact a seasoned car accident lawyer to learn about the options available to you. An experienced lawyer can review the circumstances surrounding the case and help you identify who may be responsible for your injuries.
Proving liability might be an uphill battle, especially when multiple negligent parties may have been involved in causing your accident. To protect your interests, it is important to retain a legal team that thoroughly understands the applicable laws and can increase your chances of securing the compensation that you deserve.