Multiple-Vehicle Accident Lawyer in Fayetteville
Multiple-vehicle accidents can be devastating events that disrupt the lives of numerous people. When someone else is responsible for your injuries in a multi-car collision, you shouldn’t have to pay for the losses you suffer as a result.
For more than three decades, our attorneys have fought to protect the rights of injured clients throughout North Carolina. Over the years, our firm has grown from a single office to one of North Carolina’s leading injury law firms. We also are active in the community through our support of numerous charitable and community initiatives such as the Autism Society of North Carolina.
If you have been injured in a multi-vehicle car crash in Fayetteville, turn to the car accident attorneys at Hardison & Cochran for help. We offer free consultations to review the details of the accident and discuss your legal options. You won’t owe us any legal fee unless we secure compensation for you. Give us a call at (252) 333-3333 for a free initial case review to discuss your legal options.
What Is a Multi-Vehicle Accident?
A multi-vehicle accident refers to a crash that involves two or more vehicles. Multi-car accidents involving several vehicles also may be called pileup accidents.
Multi-vehicle crashes can lead to serious injuries and significant property damage, especially when these accidents occur on the highway. Interstates such as I-95 pose a particular risk for multi-vehicle accidents due to the high speeds of vehicles and heavy traffic at times.
Some of the most common causes of multi-vehicle accidents include:
- Tailgating
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Driving too fast for road conditions
- Aggressive or reckless driving
- Negligent operation of large vehicles
- Slick road conditions from rain, ice, or snow
- Low visibility conditions in fog, heavy or heavy rain
Cars involved in a multi-vehicle accident may be hit multiple times as more vehicles get involved in the collision. The more times a car is hit, the less protection it offers its occupants. After airbags have been deployed and crumple zones are deformed, the car can no longer effectively absorb impacts.
As a result, people involved in multi-vehicle accidents can suffer serious or potentially life-threatening injuries, such as:
- Broken bones
- Internal bleeding and organ injuries
- Head and facial injuries
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Traumatic amputation
Who Is Responsible in a Multi-Car Accident?
Holding a driver responsible for a multi-car crash is often a difficult task. With multiple vehicles colliding with one another, it can become challenging to piece together who has liability for the crash.
In some multi-car accidents, the driver who triggered the chain reaction collision may be responsible for the entire accident. However, other drivers will often share some fault.
For example, if a speeding or distracted driver could have avoided being involved in a multi-car collision, they may share responsibility for hitting vehicles already in the pileup or crashing into other vehicles not involved in the accident.
The fault must be assigned to one or more drivers for each vehicle involved in a multi-car accident. This may result in only one driver at fault for all the vehicles involved in the crash or some drivers sharing responsibility for vehicles in the pileup.
How Is Fault Determined in a Multi-Car Accident?
Determining fault for a multi-car crash can be a complex matter. As more vehicles are involved in the crash, accident investigators will need to rely on many different pieces of evidence to put together what happened in the accident.
The types of evidence commonly used in multi-car accident cases include:
- Police accident report – Police officers are trained investigators and may offer an opinion on which drivers were at fault at each stage of the crash.
- Accident scene photos – Photos of the positions of vehicles, damage to the vehicles, skid marks on the road, signs, traffic controls, weather, lighting, and traffic conditions can provide insight after the accident.
- Post-accident vehicle inspections – Evidence such as vehicle data logs may show that a driver was speeding or failed to brake before a collision.
- Video footage – Footage from surveillance cameras, traffic cameras, and dash cams can help document the crash if it is available.
- Third-party witnesses – Witnesses to the accident may provide crucial evidence to determine fault for the crash, as well as an impartial perspective.
If multiple sources show consistent accounts of what happened in the accident, it can help build a persuasive narrative of how the multiple-vehicle collision developed.
What to Do After a Multi-Car Accident If You Are Not Responsible for the Accident
If you’re involved in a multi-car accident in Fayetteville caused by someone else, remember to take these steps to put yourself in the best position to pursue fair compensation for the harm or losses you suffered because of the crash:
- Take cell phone photos or videos of the accident scene.
- Get eyewitnesses’ contact information.
- See a doctor as soon as possible to be examined for any injuries you may have sustained.
- Follow your doctor’s treatment instructions and recommendations.
- Keep records of all expenses incurred due to the accident.
- Have your income records on hand if you miss work while recovering.
- Avoid discussing the accident or your injuries on social media. If you post something that contradicts your official statements, the insurance company or the other side’s attorneys may try to use your posts to undermine your claim for compensation.
- Speak to a multi-car crash attorney to go over your legal options for pursuing financial recovery.
What to Do After a Multi-Car Accident If You Are Responsible for the Accident
If you think you were responsible for causing a multi-vehicle accident, you should answer the police officer’s questions factually, but do not speculate. Don’t apologize or automatically assume the blame for a multi-vehicle accident. If you are found to be partly at fault in the accident, you will not be entitled under North Carolina law to seek compensation from others in the accident.
Let the police officer conduct an investigation and make a determination. As one driver in a multi-vehicle accident, you are not in a position to know all the facts.
You should take to protect your rights in any legal claims that might be brought against you:
- Make sure to check on the occupants of each vehicle to see if anyone requires assistance.
- Report the crash to law enforcement if someone hasn’t already.
- Exchange contact and insurance information with each driver involved.
- Take your own photos or video of the accident scene.
- Make sure you have contact information from any third-party eyewitnesses.
- Notify your auto insurance provider as soon as possible. Your policy likely requires you to provide timely notice of an accident to your insurer to be eligible for coverage under your policy.
Most importantly, you should remain calm throughout the entire process and avoid making any statements that can later be used against you in a lawsuit. Even saying something like “I’m sorry” might later be used as proof that you knew you caused the crash.
Even if you believe that you were responsible at the time of the accident, you may not know all the facts. Further investigation of the accident may reveal that other parties share fault in the accident or be entirely responsible for the crash. An experienced car accident attorney can investigate the accident and help you determine whether you have any fault in a multi-car accident.
Call Today to Review Your Case With Our Auto Accident Lawyers in Fayetteville, NC
Don’t put off getting the legal help you need to pursue financial recovery for the injuries and losses you suffered in a multi-car accident. Contact the Fayetteville multi-vehicle accident lawyers of Hardison & Cochran today online or at (252) 333-3333. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation. We can discuss what our law firm can do to fight for your rights to receive fair and full compensation from those at fault for the accident.
