Who Is at Fault in a Chain Reaction Car Accident?
In Massachusetts, you can hold another driver at fault outside of the state’s no-fault system if your injuries are serious, such as broken bones or a permanent disability. Determining fault can be tricky, especially if your crash involved more than two vehicles. You may need assistance from a car accident lawyer in Merrimack Valley to help you determine and prove liability for a multivehicle crash, including a chain reaction car accident.
What Is a Chain Reaction Car Accident?
A chain reaction car accident is also known as a multivehicle collision or pileup. It refers to a car accident that involves more than two vehicles. It is a severe type of collision that can cause extensive property damage and injuries to the passengers of all vehicles involved. A chain reaction accident in particular generally describes a chain of multiple rear-end collisions, where the impact of the first rear-end collision propels the second vehicle into a third vehicle and so on.
How to Determine Liability for a Chain Reaction Car Accident
Liability, or financial responsibility, for a chain reaction car accident typically goes to the driver who caused the first collision. Since a chain reaction accident means multiple vehicles in a row have collided with each other, the driver responsible for the initial collision will be the one who is ultimately liable for the entire accident, even if that driver’s vehicle did not actually touch all of the cars involved.
For example, Driver D would be the party that is most likely liable for the following chain reaction accident:
Driver D >> Driver C >> Driver B >> Driver A
In this example, Driver D would be liable not only for Driver C’s damages for causing the initial rear-end collision but also for Driver B and A’s damages, even though Driver D’s car did not technically touch Drivers B or A. This is because were it not for Driver D causing the first collision with Driver C, the subsequent collisions in the chain reaction accident would not have occurred.
There are some situations, however, where a multivehicle car accident is not the fault of the first driver. If Driver C caused Driver D to crash into the back of the vehicle by brake-checking, for instance, Driver C could bear responsibility for the chain reaction accident instead. Liability can be even more difficult to determine if the pileup involves vehicles that were traveling in different directions, such as an intersection accident.
Massachusetts’ Comparative Fault Law
There are also examples where multiple drivers share fault. Under Massachusetts’ modified comparative fault law, a plaintiff or injured party can still recover partial compensation even if he or she is assigned a share of the blame for the accident. However, the plaintiff can only recover if found less than 51 percent responsible. With less than 51 percent of the blame, the courts will reduce the plaintiff’s award by his or her percentage of fault.
How a Car Accident Lawyer Can Help
Determining liability for a chain reaction car accident can be difficult, especially if the accident involves four or more drivers. It can also be difficult to obtain fair financial compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance provider, as his or her insurance policy will have to cover the damages of every driver and passenger involved in the wreck.
Hiring a car accident lawyer to represent you can give you the strongest possible chance of securing positive case results. A law firm can conduct a comprehensive investigation into your chain reaction car accident to determine fault and gather evidence against the correct driver or drivers. The strength of your evidence is important, as this will decide whether or not you succeed in obtaining financial compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
For more information about how to recover financial compensation after a chain reaction car accident, contact the car accident lawyers at Merrimack Valley Injury Lawyers today.