Who’s At Fault for a Chain Reaction Crash?

In a chain reaction accident, three or more vehicles are involved in a series of crashes resulting from the first single collision. More than one driver may be held responsible for a chain reaction accident. Determining the at-fault party can be challenging if you get involved in a multi-vehicle crash.

Car crashes are rarely straightforward, even when two vehicles are involved. Accidents involving three or more vehicles tend to be even more complex. The complication arises from identifying the at-fault party, which requires extensive investigations and resources such as surveillance footage and expert witnesses.

Read on as we discuss the rights to compensation following a chain reaction collision.

How do Chain-Reaction Accidents Occur?

In a chain reaction crash, an event causes one vehicle to crash, resulting in other vehicles colliding too. Ideally, the motorist who caused the initial crash should be the at-fault party in a chain reaction accident, but things are often more complicated.

Suppose a driver rear-ends another motorist, and the impact of the initial collision causes the motorist to rear-end a third vehicle, injuring the occupants. In such a situation, it’s a no-brainer that the initial driver is responsible for the crash. However, that’s not always the case.

For instance, a driver can stop suddenly without warning and get rear-ended by the vehicle behind them. The impact may force them to crash into the car in front of them. In this case, the at-fault party may be the driver who stopped without warning, not the one who crashed into them in this particular chain reaction accident example.

What Causes Chain Reaction Accidents?

Since chain reaction accidents involve several motorists and vehicles, determining fault and liability is often tricky. Fault doesn’t always lie with the driver whose car caused the initial crash but with the one who instigated the crash. A lot goes wrong for a chain reaction crash to happen, but these accidents are commonly caused by:

• Reckless and aggressive driving, including tailgating and speeding
• Bad weather conditions like fog, snow, rain, and high winds
• Driving under the influence
• Mechanical problems such as bad tires, acceleration issues, and bad brakes
• Distracted driving, including texting while driving
• Road hazards like potholes, fallen trees and rocks, construction equipment, pedestrians, and animals

Fault in Chain Reaction Accidents

To prove fault in any car accident, one must prove that the other party’s negligence or actions contributed to the accident. Different states have different rules regarding comparative negligence and compensation systems. For this reason, the laws that apply to you will depend on the state where your chain-reaction accident occurred.

If you get involved in a chain reaction accident in Alabama or Florida, here’s an overview of the two states’ insurance systems:

Alabama

If you get involved in a chain reaction accident in Alabama, one question that will ring in your mind is, “who is at fault?” Generally, liability for car crashes is governed by the state’s negligence law because Alabama is a fault state.

If you file an insurance claim for compensation after a chain reaction collision, you must prove that:

• The at-fault party had a duty of care towards you
• They breached that duty
• There was proximate causation, resulting in your injuries and losses

Partial Fault in Alabama

Under Alabama law, even a one-percent share of the blame in a chain reaction collision can disqualify you from getting compensated. Even if other parties in a chain reaction collision were at fault, their insurers might argue that you were partially at fault.

Some situations that may lead the court to rule that you’re partially at-fault include:

• Getting rear-ended by a drunk driver because you were looking at your phone when the crash happened
• Getting hit by a driver running a red light, but you had sufficient time and room to take evasive action
• The other driver stopped without warning, but you were following them too closely

Insurance companies always try to blame the victims, which is why you need an aggressive car accident attorney to defend you. If minor fault gets assigned to you, speak to an attorney from the law offices of Stevenson Klotz Injury Lawyers. They may be able to build a case and help you get fair compensation from the insurance company.

Florida

Since Florida is a no-fault car insurance state, your insurance company pays for your initial medical bills. For this reason, all drivers must carry personal injury protection insurance as part of their car insurance policy.

The state’s no-fault law is designed to make it easier for you to seek treatment after getting involved in a chain reaction collision. Although you have the right to file a compensation claim after suffering injuries and losses, it’s difficult to pinpoint the party that carries the liability. Generally, you must go through your insurer before seeking compensation from other sources.

Seeking Compensation In Florida

As a driver in Florida, you have the assurance that medical expenses after a chain reaction crash get covered by your PIP insurance regardless of who’s at fault. Although Florida is a no-fault state, you can still file a claim if you suffer permanent, debilitating, or severe injuries.

Since personal injury protection insurance isn’t usually sufficient to cover damages, most accident victims choose to step outside the no-fault system by filing third-party insurance claims or lawsuits. This way, they stand a chance to recover non-economic losses such as pain and suffering, which aren’t covered under PIP insurance policies.

If you suffer injuries and losses in a Florida chain-reaction crash, you need an experienced attorney who can fight to secure the maximum compensation you deserve. Your insurance company may try to deny or devalue your compensation claim because it dents their bottom line.

A car accident attorney from the law offices of Stevenson & Klotz can fight for what’s fair and ensure you get fully compensated.

Chain Reaction Accidents Require Skilled Attorneys

Complex accidents such as chain reaction collisions require skilled and thorough investigation by experienced car accident attorneys. The most significant element of these causes is to prove the at-fault party’s negligence. Our attorneys have the expertise to build a watertight case against the at-fault parties and insurance companies and secure full compensation.

With over five decades of combined experience, we try to provide exceptional service to our clients and the peace of mind they need to navigate their legal issues. If you want to pursue compensation after a chain reaction accident in Alabama or Florida, contact us at (850) 444-0000 to schedule a free case review.

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