Multi-Vehicle Accident Lawyer

Multi-vehicle crashes are often referred to as pileups or chain reaction incidents because they often originate from a collision between two cars that sets off a successive series of impacts involving several vehicles. In fact, some of the more memorable multi-vehicle accidents have involved dozens of vehicles. With so many individuals involved and the ensuing confusion, multi-vehicle accidents can become very complicated very quickly, involving at-fault parties and multiple insurance companies.

Along with all the damage and potential injuries to vehicle occupants, there is also a range of complex legal situations to resolve. These include identifying the actual at-fault parties and determining liability and possible sources of coverage. As someone injured in a multi-vehicle crash, it is imperative for you to have an experienced multiple vehicle accident lawyer in St. Louis on your side to ensure you receive the attention and compensation you deserve.

At The Cagle Law Firm, we know how to handle the most complex multi-vehicle accident cases. Regardless of the nature of the injuries that you sustained, we will work aggressively to help you recover what you need. To arrange a free consultation with an experienced St. Louis car accident lawyer, call us today toll-free at (1-800) 685-3302 or locally at (314) 276-1681, or you can fill out our contact form.

Where Multi-Car Crashes Occur

Multi-car collisions can happen anywhere, from large interstates to local city streets. An experienced multi-vehicle accident attorney can thoroughly investigate the causes of such crashes. Some of the most common locations and scenarios involve:

• Areas of high traffic.
• Winding roads in which a driver travels around a bend and suddenly encounters stopped traffic or an accident without enough time to avoid a collision. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that in 2020, 989 people died in Missouri car crashes.
• Fast-traveling highways in which drivers follow too closely behind other vehicles, not allowing enough space to stop quickly in case of an emergency.
• Low-visibility conditions. These conditions can occur due to rain, snow, fog, dust, and smoke. When these conditions exist, drivers traveling at normal highway speeds can struggle to see the dangers ahead.
• Wet, snowy, or icy roads – these slick surfaces can sometimes make it impossible for vehicles to stop in time to prevent a collision.

Multi-vehicle crashes can occur in urban and rural areas. Regardless of the location, it takes a skilled multiple vehicle accident lawyer in St. Louis to help injury victims effectively deal with the situation and recover the compensation to which they are entitled.

Multi-vehicle collisions have a higher probability of happening in urban areas with dense traffic and on highways with drivers traveling at high speeds. In rural areas, multi-car crashes occur most often on roadways with narrow lanes or while traveling around tight curves and bends when visibility ahead is restricted.

Causes of Multi-Vehicle Accidents

Chain reaction crashes involving multiple vehicles start most of the time because of driver error. Common mistakes by drivers leading to multi-car crashes include:

DISTRACTED DRIVING

Drivers who operate their vehicle while simultaneously texting while driving, talking on a cell phone. Generally, distracted driving is when a driver is using any kind of electronic device, whether they are texting, posting to social media, dialing phone numbers, or returning emails. Use the hand’s free option of your smartphone if you are accessing directions. Set the auto text responder to notify those sending you text messages that you are engaged in driving, thus quelling the need to respond right away.

Inattentive Driving

Inattentive driving includes all of those behaviors that take your eyes and concentration off the roadway. Those activities include manipulating the vehicle console (such as the stereo), eating, looking through papers or various compartments, applying make-up, and so many other activities that take your attention away from the roadway.

SPEEDING

A car traveling at a high rate of speed takes considerable time and distance to stop. Drivers who speed have a greater risk of crashing into stopped or slowed traffic even when not distracted. And collisions at higher rates of speed are typically more severe in nature. A multi-vehicle accident attorney can implement investigative resources to determine what participant(s) in the crash may have been speeding leading up to the accident.

TAILGATING

Drivers who fail to give adequate space between the front of their vehicle and the rear of the vehicle ahead of them may have insufficient time to avoid a rear impact, subsequently causing a chain reaction crash.

RUBBERNECKING

Drivers may be distracted by observing another crash scene along the roadway without proper regard for the road ahead. Such distraction can result in a multi-vehicle pileup.

Determining Liability

In multi-car crash situations, numerous parties may bear responsibility for the crash and the subsequent damages and injuries that occur. There may be one driver who initiated the accident through a poor driving decision that led to a subsequent chain reaction sequence of collisions. At times, there may be multiple causes. A detailed investigation is required to determine the sequence of events in a multi-car pileup, driving errors that initiated the chain reaction, and which drivers bear fault.

The police document the crashes, and multiple policy agencies can be involved when there are multiple crashes. An accident reconstruction is only required by law enforcement if there is a fatality. The insurance company will also attempt to document what happened so that liability can eventually be determined. It is vital to have an experienced multi-vehicle accident attorney on your side who can independently investigate the crash on your behalf to protect your rights and secure evidence that supports your claim.

State laws in Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky require drivers found negligent, careless, or having violated traffic safety laws to compensate crash victims for their losses. Obviously, individual drivers are not generally held personally accountable for damages of non-intentional acts but rather their insurance carriers. Thus, it is clear why each and every driver must have auto insurance in order to be compliant. If you fail to have auto insurance, then a party can pursue you personally in court. The types of damages multi-vehicle crash victims may recover include medical expenses, lost wages and income, wrongful death damages, emotional distress, and pain and suffering.

When a multiple motor vehicle accident occurs, it is crucial to understand the circumstances leading up to the event. In some cases, multiple drivers and insurance carriers may carry responsibility for the pileup due to negligence.

As a victim of such a crash, it is also important to obtain the services of a multiple vehicle accident lawyer in St. Louis who understands the complexities of chain reaction crash cases and knows how to advocate effectively for your portion of the damages owed.

Contact an Experienced Multiple Vehicle Accident Lawyer in St. Louis

Our experienced personal injury lawyers understand the unique challenges involved in securing compensation in multi-vehicle crash cases. If you have suffered serious injury or losses in such an incident, allow our legal team at The Cagle Law Firm to advocate vigorously for the financial recovery you deserve.

To set up a free, initial consultation about your personal injury case and how we can help, call us today toll-free at (1-800) 685-3302 or locally at (314) 276-1681, or complete our contact form.