Car accidents involving multiple vehicles can create a confusing and chaotic scene. Many vehicles involved in a pile-up will sustain more than one collision, putting occupants at increased risk for serious injury. Proving liability can also be a difficult task after a multi-vehicle accident due to the number of cars and individual collisions involved. In many cases, more than one driver may be liable. If you were hurt in a pile-up, contacting an attorney soon after the accident may give you the best chance of receiving full compensation. 

How Do Pile-Ups Happen?

The causes of pile-ups can be complex and varied. Often, more than one driver has made a careless mistake that contributed to the severity of the wreck. In such cases, it may be possible to recover compensation from each and every responsible party.

Dangerous, multi-vehicle accidents often happen due to: 

  • Inclement weather – Pile-ups most commonly happen during snowstorms, heavy rain, thick fog, and other adverse weather conditions that impair visibility or make the roads slick. Drivers should both respect their own limits when it comes to driving through severe weather and adjust their driving behaviors to account for lack of visibility or slippery streets. 
  • Drunk driving – Intoxicated drivers have a way of causing rather unusual accidents due to their unpredictable nature. Other vehicles may even crash trying to dodge such a driver. Drunk drivers are also more likely than most to be responsible for a head-on collision after driving the wrong way or skipping a median, which tends to affect more than one other car. 
  • Excessive speed – Often, pile-ups happen because the driver who causes the initial collision forces that vehicle into other vehicles. This is more likely to happen when the first at-fault driver is operating at an excessive speed for the type of road or conditions. A speeding driver who rear-ends another car is more likely to push that car into the car ahead of it, possibly causing a chain reaction that can send the front vehicle hurtling into the intersection in severe cases. 
  • Running a red light – Intersections are common locations for multi-vehicle accidents. Especially at larger, busier intersections, there are often multiple vehicles passing through a limited space at the same time. When a driver runs a red light, they run the risk of causing a serious multi-car collision. 
  • Large vehicles – 18-wheelers, buses, and other large commercial vehicles present a particular risk simply due to their size. An out-of-control semi-truck has the potential to strike a number of other vehicles before coming to a stop. They can also push smaller vehicles into one another.

If you were injured hurt in a multi-vehicle pile-up, you will want to contact an attorney as soon as possible. Certain evidence, like vehicle damage, needs to be documented promptly before it is lost. 

Call an Appleton Car Accident Lawyer

The team at Herrling Clark Law Firm, Ltd. is committed to helping those injured by negligent drivers receive full compensation for all of their losses. Our experienced Green Bay multi-vehicle crash attorneys are skilled at investigating multi-car accidents and determining liability. Call 920-739-7366 for a free consultation today.

 

Source:

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/what-should-you-do-if-you-are-in-a-multi-vehicle-pileup/432831