Multi Vehicle Accident Settlement | Multiple Car Accident Settlements

After a multi-vehicle car accident, some period of time needs to go by before you understand the severity and nature of your injuries. Even minor pain and injuries could linger for a few weeks after an auto accident involving multiple care before you can completely assess how it affects your life. More serious car accident injuries will necessitate medical treatment that may be ongoing for weeks or months, and the fact that there were multiple cars involved in the accident just complicated things further… more injuries, more cars to fix, and more insurance companies to negotiate with. 

But there is a time limit you have to file a car accident claim for your multi vehicle accident, knows as the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations is defined as the maximum amount of time someone has to file for legal recourse (file a claim or initiate a car accident lawsuit) after the incident occurred. 

Most states have a statute of limitations of 2-3 years for car accidents, although there are a few exceptions. This doesn’t mean that you have to agree to accept an auto accident settlement in this time frame, just that you need to initiate the process. Getting your case started is one thing, but you do not want it resolved (i.e. accepting a multi vehicle settlement offer) before you understand the full nature and extent of your injuries. 

Once you have filed a car accident claim with the insurance company asking for compensation for your injuries, lost work time, and pain and suffering, you will start negotiating the final multi vehicle accident settlement. 

An important aspect of the negotiation process is whether you have reached maximum medical improvement, or MMI. This means you are as healthy as you will be after your injuries, or you and your lawyer at least know how to assign a value to your damages as far as future medical treatments and the ongoing financial costs of your injuries. 

Keep in mind there is nothing lost by starting the car accident claims process before you reach your MMI. Just be sure you fully understand what your past and future damages are before you settle the case. 

You need to make sure you do not accept a multi vehicle car accident settlement and sign a liability waiver before you are confident you have reached MMI, or you have fully accounted for the necessary expenses for your future care in the settlement. Once you have signed the waiver, the case is settled and there is no going back. 

Determining who is at fault in chain reaction car accidents can be challenging. The more cars involved, the more complex the investigation.

When the accident happens, the police will do an investigation to determine the cause of the crash and who might be at fault. But remember: Police can issue tickets for traffic violations, but they do not determine who is liable for an accident.

Because of the amount of insurance money involved when there are several vehicles involved in a chain reaction wreck, it is common for auto insurance companies to bring in their own investigators to determine fault.

The legal system determines who is at fault by finding the person who started the chain reaction crash. In a rear end crash, it is assumed to be the driver at the back of the accident.

Investigators for the insurance companies will also look at other possible contributing factors:

• Was distracted driving a factor?
• Were any drivers under the influence of alcohol?
• Was any driver speeding or engaging in road rage?
• Were any drivers tailgating?
• Was any driver driving the vehicle too fast for weather conditions?

In a chain reaction crash, it is important to have a skilled personal injury attorney advocating on your behalf. He will maximize the chance that you will get as much compensation as possible for your injuries in this complex crash claim or lawsuit.

In a multi-car accident, it is rare for the front vehicle to be blamed for the accident. However, it can occur on occasion. Witnesses or others involved I the crash may say that the front car stopped for no reason – no traffic light, traffic or stop sign – just stopped for no reason at all. Or, the front vehicle may have suddenly moved from one lane into another and hit their brakes. In these cases, it is possible for the front driver to be at fault, but again, this is rare.

The average car accident settlement ranges between $14,000 and $28,000, so generally, the typical settlement average is $21,000. The average for a more serious car accident is $31,000. You should talk to your personal injury attorney to find out more information about what the settlement amount could be for the front driver in a multi-car accident.

When you are in an accident that involves several cars, establishing fault is complicated. There are usually several auto insurance companies involved and all are trying to reduce their liability and pass the buck to the next person and company. This means there will probably be multiple parties to blame for different parts of the accident. So, you will want to hire an experienced multi-car accident personal injury attorney who has the experience and skills to handle these complex cases.

An attorney who is skilled in multi-car accidents will be able to handle the following aspects of your case:

• Find and communicate effectively with all insurance companies involved
• Determine the level of insurance coverage for each driver
• Determine degree of fault for each driver
• Whether you share any blame for the accident, and whether you have a case
• Gather all needed information by completing a thorough investigation, research and deposing witnesses
• Ensure medical bills are being paid by insurance companies
• Get you a fair settlement for lost wages, pain and suffering and and injuries

Chain reaction crashes are very dangerous and scary, as there is more than one threat to your safety. These cases are more complicated for attorneys to work out for settlement because there are several defendants and insurance companies involved.

The largest issue in a multi-vehicle accident is to determine who was at fault. The dollar value for a multi-vehicle accident can run high. So, an insurance company may bring in a special investigator to review the accident case. The matter of fault is going to hinge on duty of care and proximate cause.

Every driver has what is known as duty of car to drive in a safe and reasonable way and to watch out for others on the road. If a driver or drivers breaches their duty of care, there must be a connection made between the breach and the accident.

The most difficult part of an auto insurance claim with several cars and drivers is that it is challenging to assign blame equally and fairly among all drivers. Disputes may arise. Keep in mind that in most multi-car accidents, there will be multiple claims for compensation, they will probably be contested and the entire process will take longer. You will almost certainly need a personal injury attorney in such cases to best represent you. It is best to present your case to your attorney in a consultation to get a better idea of what the claim could be worth.

Typically, the driver that has rear-ended you is liable for any damages that occur to any of the vehicles involved in the multi car accident.

However, this does not mean that the last car involved is always liable for the entire accident. Generally, it is the responsibility of each driver to control their vehicle and keep distance to avoid a rear-end collision in the event of any sudden stops. If the police report and/or witness statements show that you were following too closely behind the car in front of you, there’s a chance partial fault may lie with the middle car as well.

Generally, 3-car pile-ups are rear-end collisions possibly causing a chain reaction of accidents, typically determining the rear car at-fault for the entire pile-up. However, it’s not always the rear driver’s fault. If you are the last car to be involved in a 3-car pile-up it ordinarily means there was some reason, which caused the 2 cars ahead to collide such as bad weather, or the first car failed to have proper break lights. Determining who is at-fault in a 3-car pile-up is a complex process that involves investigating each driver’s circumstances. Just because you are the last car involved in a multi-vehicle accident does not necessarily mean you will be determined at-fault. Be sure to collect concrete evidence such as a police report, eyewitness statements and interviews from other drivers/passengers.

In the unfortunate event that you are involved in a multi-vehicle accident involving 3 or more cars, it can be a bit confusing exactly who to put the blame on. A vehicle may hit another vehicle since they themselves were affected from behind, which usually happens in multi-vehicle collisions. So, how do you determine who is liable for a multi-vehicle accident? When one driver runs into the back of another, and that individual’s car is involuntarily forced forward into the car before them, that driver would be at-fault since they solely began the chain reaction. The driver determined to be at-fault for the accident is liable for damages to property as well as personal injuries. The liable party is responsible to pay either out of pocket or through their insurance.

What does it mean to be involved in a “chain reaction” car accident? A chain reaction car accident involves at least 3 vehicles where one vehicle hits another in a progression of backside collisions that are caused by the impact of the primary crash. For example, it’s a rainy day and the road is slippery. Vehicle A, rear-ends vehicle B, forcing vehicle B to rear-end vehicle C. These types of accidents can be tricky when determining who is the at-fault party is due to the amount of drivers involved in the accident. In most situations where the driver rear-ends the car in front of them is liable. When determining who is at-fault you must review a series of questions for all drivers involved. Questions to help determine who is at-fault include:

• Was Driver A following Driver B at an unsafe speed or distance?
• Was Driver B following Driver C at an unsafe speed or distance stopping suddenly forcing Driver A to rear-end Driver B?
• Were any drivers driving negligently? (Under the influence, tired, distracted)
• Were there any eyewitnesses to verify?
• Break lights and signals working properly
• Debris in the road that has failed to be cleared causing sudden stops
• Evidence from vehicle damage can help determine who is at-fault