A chain reaction car accident is one where three or more vehicles are involved in the accident and more than one person may be at fault. Vehicles often suffer multiple impacts, which is why injuries from chain reaction accidents can be quite severe and require expensive medical care.
Let a licensed car accident lawyer in Ft. Worth review your claim and see if you may be eligible for compensation. Our attorneys have experience handling many different types of accident claims and a proven record of recovering compensation for our clients.
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Common Causes of Multi-Vehicle Accidents
As more people move to Texas, traffic is likely to increase significantly. With more cars on the road, there is an increased chance of motor vehicle accidents. Chain reaction accidents are more likely in high-traffic areas, but there are other culprits as well, such as:
- Inclement weather
- Speeding, particularly in bad weather
- Driving under the influence, which could lead to a wrong-way crash
- Distracted driving, such as texting and driving
- Fatigued driving
Determining Liability in Texas
Assessing fault is easier with some chain reaction crashes than others. For example, if one car rear-ended another that rear-ended another, the driver that initiated the crash may bear most of the fault.
However, other chain reaction crashes may take more time to assess, as multiple drivers may share fault.
When Multiple Drivers May be at Fault
Say you are driving in the travel lane and a car cuts in front of you without any warning and you crash into that car. The driver who improperly changed lanes is likely to blame. However, if you are then hit from behind by a driver who was following too closely, that driver may also be held liable for tailgating. The victim may be able to pursue compensation from both drivers in this scenario.
Order of Impact Matters
When police arrive at the scene of a chain reaction accident, they speak to each individual driver and ask what happened. They are trying to determine the order of impact.
For example, say there was a crash in the middle of an intersection – one driver ran a red light or stop sign and was hit by the driver of a car that had the right of way. The vehicles behind the one with the right of way may have crashed into the lead vehicle because they did not have time to stop.
However, when police investigate the accident scene they may learn that a speeding car that was two vehicles behind the one in the middle of the intersection rear-ended someone and the force of the impact sent the first car into the middle of the road where the right-of-way driver crashed into them.
Crash Witness Statements
Witness testimony may play a big role in a car accident claim. Luckily, because most chain reaction accidents happen in high-traffic areas, there may be a lot of people who witnessed the accident and an attorney may be able to help get these witnesses to testify or provide a deposition about what happened.
Expert Witness Testimony
Sometimes it may be necessary to bring in an accident reconstruction expert to investigate and analyze the scene of an accident and conclude what occurred and who may be liable.
If it is determined an accident reconstruction expert is needed, the attorneys at Anderson, Cummings & Drawhorn know how to find a qualified expert to help us validate your claim.
Understanding Proportionate Responsibility in Texas
Like most states, Texas is a modified comparative negligence state. What this means is an injured party cannot be 51 percent or more at fault for an accident, otherwise he or she cannot obtain any compensation from the other parties involved in the accident.
If the injured person is found to be 30 percent at fault, he or she may receive damages, but the total amount of compensation will be reduced by the same percentage they were found at fault for. For example, if they were 30 percent at fault, and they were seeking $10,000 in compensation, they would only receive $7,000.
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