Dealing with one irate driver after a crash is bad enough. Unfortunately, serious accidents become even more complicated when extra vehicles are involved. If you don’t have a personal injury attorney’s assistance, you may not be able to recover damages for your injuries and loss of wages from a multi-car crash.
Multi-Vehicle Crash Causes and How to Determine Fault
The person who hit you may not actually be the primary at-fault driver. That driver may have been hit by someone else first. To untangle the facts in a multi-car crash cash, you start by finding the specific cause of the accident. Multi-vehicle collisions on Pennsylvania roads are typically caused by:
- Adverse weather conditions
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence
- Drowsy driving
- Failing to yield
- Mechanical failure
- Speeding
- Tailgating
To find the initial cause, an attorney can perform a thorough investigation that includes examining photos of the scene, interviewing eyewitnesses, and utilizing employment logs, police reports, and medical documentation. That process is used to determine who failed to uphold their basic duty of care, and then prove that negligent behavior caused your injury. Pursuing compensation from the wrong person can see your case dismissed or prevent you from receiving a settlement.
Don’t Wait to Speak With an Attorney After a Multi-Car Crash
Who bears responsibility and how to seek compensation may change depending on whether the crash was strictly between standard passenger cars, or if there was a SEPTA bus or commercial cargo truck involved. That’s why you need a lawyer with a broad knowledge of Pennsylvania law to help after an accident.
Other factors in multiple vehicle collisions may also affect your ability to recover compensation that you should discuss with your attorney. For instance, comparative fault rules may come into play if a negligent driver at the front of a line of cars caused the accident, but someone in line behind didn’t leave enough space to properly brake and avoid the collision.
Have you suffered an injury or lost the ability to work after a multi-car crash? Fill out our contact form and we’ll get in touch to schedule a consultation about your case.
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