Who is Liable in a Pile Up Accident?

There’s no question that every car accident is dangerous and that most have the ability to result in injuries; however, pile-up accidents are unique. In these situations, it is extremely rare that no one gets hurt.

Knowing who is actually liable in these types of accidents is crucial to ensuring you have the resources to recover the compensation you deserve. Unfortunately, determining fault in a pile up is especially challenging. In most cases, while two cars actually start this type of accident, as more and more cars are added to the mix, it can become confusing who hit who.

In the end, it is often left up to the insurance companies, along with the court, to figure out who was actually responsible for the accident that occurred. The good news is, there are some things you can look for.

Liability Explained

Car accident liability means that the party who was negligent or who was actually responsible for the accident that occurred is the one who will be liable, and they will have to pay for any damages that occur in the case. If a particular person is deemed to be the “at fault” party, then in some cases, insurance companies will actually cover the damages.

However, when pile-ups, where there are many injuries and multiple damaged vehicles, not everything is always covered. Figuring out how to determine fault is crucial in these situations to ensure that you receive the full amount of compensation that you deserve.

Liability that Occurs in Multi-Vehicle Accidents

A traditional rear-end vehicle accident is considered much easier for you, the police or the insurance company to determine liability in. It’s pretty straightforward – the person who hits someone else from the back is at fault (while there are some exceptions). In a multiple car accident, the car is still going to be considered at fault when they hit another vehicle that is already crashed or stopped, unless it was pushed by another vehicle. In these situations, the first vehicle that did not stop and that results in the chain of vehicles hitting one another is going to be the one considered liable.

Sometimes, there is the misconception that the party that actually caused this type of accident to begin with, is the party that is actually responsible for the entire accident. While, in some cases, this may be the case, there is usually more than one party that is at fault. Even if someone is targeted, they may not be the individual responsible for the injuries or damages you suffered.

Vehicles that are involved after the fact may be the ones that are actually liable for the injuries that you suffered. In some situations, there may be several different parties responsible for a single person’s injury or damages. One example of this is if a person has stopped their vehicle in a pile up and then it is hit by two other cars after this happened. Each of the cars that actually hit them are considered responsible. In this situation, it may require that you contact several insurance companies to make a claim and there is one that may pay 60 percent of the total damages while the other only pays 40 percent.

Regardless of the situation, there are steps that you can take to ensure you receive the most compensation for your claim possible. Being informed and knowing what to do is the best way to get the compensation you deserve.

In some situations, the best thing you will be able to do is hire an attorney. They will be able to make sense of the situation and ensure you receive the compensation that you rightfully deserve.