Recovering Compensation After a Pile-Up

 Posted on September 15, 2022 in Car Accident

Pile-ups can be scary, especially if you were one of the first vehicles to get involved in the crash. You may have been hit by one car and forced into another, then hit again. You may even have been trapped in the center, watching helplessly as other drivers came from behind and kept adding to the large-scale car crash. One of the more difficult aspects of recovering compensation after a pile-up is finding out who exactly is liable when multiple drivers made mistakes that contributed to the crash. 

Understanding Who May be Liable to You

If a driver’s negligence caused or worsened your injuries, that driver may be liable to you. In the context of a large crash involving multiple vehicles, this could mean that multiple parties are liable to you. In fact, it is likely that you have a claim against more than one driver.  

If only one driver on the road is careless and causes a crash, odds are, they will not manage to hit more than one or maybe two careful drivers before coming to a stop. Pile-ups often happen when one careless driver causes a collision while sharing the road with other careless drivers, who cause more collisions. 

For example, imagine that Driver A is cruising along carelessly staring at his phone when he decides to merge without looking, sideswiping you and pushing you into the next lane. If the accident ends here, Driver A is the only one liable to you. 

However, if Driver B then rear-ends you because she was speeding excessively, Driver B may also be liable to you. If Driver C, who was tailgating Driver B then rear-ends B, pushing her into you a second time, now there is also a possibility that you also have a valid claim against Driver C, assuming each impact caused or worsened an injury. In a case like this, you may be able to pursue compensation from each of them.

Determining liability after a pile-up can be challenging. Your best bet is to work with an experienced attorney who can conduct an independent investigation on your behalf. 

Call a Larimer County Car Accident Lawyer

Hoggatt Law Office, P.C. is experienced in making sense of the chaos after a multi-car crash. Our skilled Fort Collins car accident attorneys will strive to identify each potentially liable party and help you pursue your claims. Call 970-225-2190 for a free consultation. 

Sources: 

https://www.carinsurance.com/Articles/highway-pileup-liability.aspx

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/multicar-pile-ups/