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Address these three things when dealing with a multi-car wreck

On Behalf of | Dec 20, 2022 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Many car accident cases are straightforward. They involve two vehicles with one of them clearly violating the law and being solely responsible for the wreck. In other instances, though, multiple cars are involved in a crash, with everyone pointing fingers at each other for causing the accident.

These cases can be difficult to untangle, which means that any potential legal claim that you file against a negligent driver can be more challenging to navigate than you expected.

Multiple-vehicle accident have special legal issues

Of course, these difficulties shouldn’t deter you from taking legal action if you were injured in a crash caused by someone else’s negligence. You’re just going to have to work harder if you want to successfully impose liability and recover the compensation that you need to offset your damages.

As you build your personal injury case, then, you’ll need to take several things into consideration. Here are some of the biggest issues that you may want to address in your case so that you stand a better chance of succeeding on your claim:

  • Comparative negligence: Once you pursue your claim, you’re likely to be accused of having contributed to the cause of the accident. This is significant, because under Massachusetts law your recovery will be reduced by the percentage of fault that’s allocated to you, and your recovery will be barred altogether if you’re found to be 51% or more at fault for the accident in question.

Therefore, as you navigate your claim, you’ll want to be realistic about your driving actions in the moments leading up to the crash. Once you identify issues that the other side will likely argue to its advantage, you can work on finding ways to minimize those arguments.

  • Accident reconstruction: When multiple vehicles are involved in a wreck, it can be nearly impossible for an average person to figure out how the accident occurred and who is to blame. That’s where an accident reconstruction expert may come into play. These individuals apply the rules of physics to the facts at hand to generate a scientifically sound opinion as to the accident’s causation. The report that comes from this investigation can be significant in your case, as judges and juries tend to give them a lot of weight. Just be prepared to counter any contrary opinion that the other side’s expert witnesses may present.
  • Multiple claims: In a multi-vehicle accident, it’s likely that there’s more than one party who is responsible for the wreck. If you want to maximize your recovery as fully as possible, then you need to make sure that you’re taking legal action against everyone who is responsible for causing you harm. This may involve some complex legal maneuvering, but your attorney can assist you with that.

Keep in mind that these are just three of the biggest considerations that you’ll need to take into account as you pursue your case. There are certainly other issues that are going to require your attention, so be diligent as you prepare to move forward with your case so that you’re not missing something that may jeopardize your claim.