Facts are required to determine who is at fault in a multi-car accident. One or more parties can be responsible, and there are many different scenarios under which a multi-vehicle collision can occur. For instance, if a driver strikes another driver in the rear, and the hit vehicle then strikes the vehicle in front, the driver who first made contact may be liable for both collisions.
It’s difficult to determine fault for one collision. Multi-vehicle accidents are considerably more complex. Allow a car accident lawyer to lead your case, as they will definitively determine fault and seek fair compensation from liable parties.
Multi-car accidents can happen in an infinite number of ways, and each little detail of an accident can affect fault and liability. That said, there are some common and repeated types of multi-vehicle accidents, which include:
The faster vehicles are traveling, the longer it takes them to stop. When one or more vehicles stop on a busy roadway, such as a highway, there is a significant likelihood of a collision and a possible pileup.
The reason why a vehicle is stopped is relevant when diagnosing fault, and such a reason may include:
If debris is in the roadway, the owner of that debris (or the vehicle that the debris came from) may be liable for resulting collisions. If any motorist was following too closely (which is always a possibility when vehicles don’t stop before a collision), those parties may share fault for the accident.
Your attorney may review police reports, video footage, and other evidence to identify why one or more vehicles were stopped. Then, they can deduce who is liable based on all other relevant facts.
Read more: What Can a Lawyer Do for You After a Car Accident?
Rear-end accidents are among the most common, as they can result from:
Common knowledge is that the motorist who rear-ends another vehicle is generally at fault for the accident. However, is that the case when multiple vehicles are involved in a rear-end accident?
Your attorney will pinpoint the causes of the accident(s) and determine who is at fault for each collision.
Read more: Filing a Lawsuit After an Uber or Lyft Car Accident
Intersections are particularly likely to be the site of accidents in general. A multi-vehicle collision may also be more likely at an intersection because:
For example, if a motorist has a green light but stops suddenly (perhaps because they’re unsure who has the right of way), a motorist behind them can easily strike their vehicle. Then, another motorist may strike the two vehicles that have already collided.
As you might guess, a lawyer can determine fault for an intersection accident. They will need to analyze all relevant evidence and information to confidently establish fault and liability.
Pedestrians can trigger multi-vehicle accidents. A motorist may swerve, stop, or make other evasive maneuvers that cause multiple vehicles to sustain damage.
If a pedestrian jaywalks or engages in any other action that causes a multi-vehicle accident, the pedestrian may be at fault for the collision (and liable for resulting damages).
Read more: Who Pays Medical Bills After a Car Accident?
It is difficult to speculate about who is at fault in a multi-car accident. There are merely too many possibilities for how such an accident might occur to take such a guess.
Rather than guessing, you should hire a car accident lawyer to determine fault for your collision. It is critically important to know who is at fault for the accident because:
The cost of motor vehicle accidents can reach six figures when serious injuries happen. Some accidents may even cause seven-figure harm. It is critical that you prove that you are not at fault and that someone else is.
Read more: What to Do After a Car Accident
Accusing you of causing an accident may be the most obvious way for at-fault motorists, insurance companies, and other liable parties to try to avoid a financial loss. This is just one of many bad-faith tactics you can encounter after a multi-vehicle collision.
Your car accident lawyer will make attempts to undermine your case, which may include:
Even if an insurance company does not deny your claim, it may undervalue it. An auto insurance provider might extend a lowball settlement offer because:
Insurance companies are in business to make money. When an auto insurer pays a claimant, they are losing money. Therefore, you should never be surprised if an insurance company engages in tactics like lowballing, clearly meant to limit its loss.
An insurance company may be quick to offer a lowball settlement but slow to act after it offers the settlement. This may be a pressure tactic. Allowing a lowball offer to linger, in the insurer’s eyes, may tempt you to accept that offer, especially as the financial pressure of the accident is on you.
Read more: Do Most Car Accident Cases Go to Court?
Your car accident lawyer should make clear to insurance companies that you will not accept a lowball offer. Your lawyer may then negotiate a settlement with one or more liable insurers.
Insurance companies can make settlement negotiations difficult by:
You should seek a skilled personal injury attorney who has recovered large settlements for car accident victims. Such an attorney will be familiar with and undaunted by hardball negotiation tactics.
Insurance companies know that car accident victims may file lawsuits if they don’t receive a fair insurance settlement. Still, the insurer is often intent on paying as little as possible to the claimant.
Any insurance company that owes you compensation may bluff, delay, hold firm, and try to avoid paying you fairly—until the very last minute. They may even allow you to file a lawsuit before they extend the offer you deserve.
These are headaches that you don’t need. Allow a lawyer to deal with insurance companies, duck bad-faith tactics, and hold insurers accountable to their policies.
Dealing with insurance companies is a critical responsibility for any car accident lawyer, however, it is far from the only way a lawyer will help you.
You should also expect your car accident attorney to:
Ask someone who has used a lawyer after a car accident. They will likely tell you that the services, advice, and peace of mind a lawyer provides are priceless.
Your recovery needs your undivided attention. Let your lawyer lend their undivided attention to any insurance claims or lawsuits related to the multi-vehicle accident.
Read more: What Lies Ahead If You File (or Your Legal Team Files) a Car Accident Lawsuit
When you hire a car accident lawyer, you get more than just a lawyer. You also get:
When someone does a job day-in and day-out, typically they are much better at that job than someone less experienced. Therefore, why not let a lawyer fight to obtain fair compensation from the insurance company to cover all of your damages?
Effective lawyers account for every single damage their client suffers, which often includes:
Each car accident victim faces unique damages and challenges, and conditions like disabling injuries are relevant. Your lawyer will compose settlement demands that reflect the unique harm you have suffered.
Read more: What Can a Lawyer Do for You After a Car Accident?
Expect your lawyer to accept your case on a contingency fee. This means that you’ll pay your law firm no out-of-pocket fee, they will cover all expenses, and your attorney will only receive a fee if they win for you.
Don’t wait to hire your personal injury attorney, as they must secure evidence, report injuries, and file all necessary legal documents as soon as possible.
Often the rear-most driver—for following too closely and/or unsafe speed. Arizona requires a reasonable and prudent following distance and speed; breaching either is negligence and commonly triggers the chain.
By percentage. Arizona is pure comparative negligence (your recovery is reduced by your % of fault) and several-only liability (each defendant pays only their assigned share; juries may consider non-parties at fault).
Sometimes. If the middle car was merely pushed forward by a rear impact, liability usually tracks to the driver(s) behind. But if the middle car hit first (an “independent collision”), it can carry fault. Evidence (EDR data, crush patterns, witness/video) decides it.
Following distance: A.R.S. §28-730.
Reasonable & prudent speed/control: A.R.S. §28-701.
Left-turn must yield: A.R.S. §28-772.
Violating any of these frequently drives fault findings in chains and intersection pileups.
Lock down the police report, photos/video, damage geometry, and witnesses. In Arizona, drivers must immediately notify police if there’s injury/death (A.R.S. §28-666), and an officer must file a written crash report when there’s injury, death, ≥ $2,000 damage, or a citation (A.R.S. §28-667).
Deadline check (don’t miss this): most AZ injury/property claims must be filed within 2 years (A.R.S. §12-542).