Who Is Liable for Paying Me After a Multiple Vehicle Crash?

 Posted on October 14, 2024 in Car Accidents

Car accidents can cause significant vehicle damage and catastrophic injuries. When someone else is responsible for causing one, they are likely responsible for paying your damages. Many crashes involve only two vehicles, making it somewhat easier to establish fault. Unfortunately, multiple cars can collide in a chain reaction, increasing the severity of injuries and complicating liability.

If you are injured in a multiple-vehicle crash, who is responsible for paying you? Are these claims complicated? The knowledgeable attorneys at Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Jambois, can give you answers during your free consultation.

How Is Fault Determined in Multiple-Vehicle Pileups?

Fault must be determined to allow you the opportunity to file one or more car accident insurance claims. In Illinois, you are likely eligible for compensation if you are less than 51 percent responsible for causing your crash. However, your total recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.

Most multiple-car crashes are a series of several individual collisions. Your vehicle might be hit several times, with each impact causing additional harm or worsening your initial injuries and car damage. The more vehicles involved, the harder it is to determine who is at fault for which damages.

You need to find out in what order the individual accidents happened and the specific injuries or damage they caused. Unless there is a video recording that caught the collision as it happened, an accident reconstruction may be necessary. That reconstruction should answer several relevant questions, such as:

• In what order did the individual collisions happen?
• What caused the first crash?
• Could any of the involved drivers have avoided the pileup?
• Which impact(s) caused your injuries and vehicle damage?
• Did subsequent impacts worsen your initial damage or cause further harm?
• What was your role in the crash?

Most injured victims have no idea where to begin or how to proceed with multiple-vehicle collision claims. Let Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Jambois, handle it for you.

What Complications Arise in Chain Reaction Accident Claims?

Catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and burns, typically produce high damages. Injured victims may qualify to receive compensation for medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, PTSD, pain and suffering, and other eligible losses.

Insurance companies do not like paying claims, often using a variety of underhanded tactics to avoid paying them. When several cars may have impacted yours, insurers will likely attempt to shift liability onto another driver. This is particularly true if your damages are high.

Aside from the complexities of unraveling multiple individual collisions, you may also face other complications with your claim:

• Commercial vehicle involvement expands the list of potentially at-fault parties.
• Underinsured or uninsured motorists may not be able to pay your damages.
• Claims against a government agency, such as the one responsible for road maintenance where your crash occurred, if potholes contributed to causing it, are subject to strict protocols.
• Hit-and-run drivers mean you likely have to file a claim against your own policy.

At Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Jambois, we frequently handle even the most complex claims successfully.

Call Now for Your Free Consultation With Our Respected Rockford, IL Car Accident Lawyers

When you need effective legal representation to get the compensation you deserve, rely on Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Jambois. Call us at 815-215-7561 to discuss your case with one of our dedicated Winnebago County, IL personal injury attorneys.