Jersey Shore Personal Injury and Employment Specialists

Determining liability in multivehicle car accidents

On Behalf of | May 13, 2015 | Car Accidents |

Given that motorists are confronted by an increasing amount of traffic congestion throughout Allenhurst and beyond, it is not unusual for car accidents to involve more than two vehicles. Often times, even relatively minor multivehicle collisions result in injuries because cars can be struck numerous times from various directions. Determining fault in such cases can be especially important and difficult for accident victims, since a number of different factors can come into play.

According to US Insurance Agents, there are some cases where determining fault in a multivehicle accident is easier than others. For instance, figuring out which party caused a chain reaction rear-end collision involving three vehicles can be a fairly straightforward process. In many cases, it is obvious that the vehicle at the rear of the collision collided with the car in front, thus causing that vehicle to strike the third car. In other instances, however, accurately identifying why and how a multivehicle collision occurred can be more complicated.

My Knowledge Center explains that law enforcement officers and accident investigators typically take several factors into consideration when determining the causes for a multivehicle collision. In addition to accounting for possible factors like weather conditions, authorities investigate vehicle placement and moving speeds. If it is found that more than one vehicle played a role in causing the accident, fault may be distributed among multiple liable parties. For an example, one driver may be held 30 percent responsible for the car crash, while another driver is held 70 percent responsible. There are also cases where all parties involved are held partially liable for causing a collision.