I Was Involved in a Multi-Car Accident – Who Can Be Held Responsible?
Posted on Jan 29, 2021 in Car Accidents, Personal Injury
A car accident that involves more than two vehicles is considered a multi-car accident, and determining who is at fault can become quite complicated. With multiple parties involved, it can be challenging to coordinate with each insurance company and investigate the facts surrounding the case. With the complexity of these accidents posing a significant challenge, it’s best to hire an experienced New Orleans car accident lawyer to help you work through the case. Your attorney can advise on the best approach to recover compensation for your injuries. Multi-car accidents can involve substantial injuries and property damage, making these accidents difficult on the injured party and more difficult to resolve through the legal system. While the process can take longer, rest assured that hiring a competent attorney with experience handling personal injury cases after a multi-car pile-up will ensure you get the compensation you deserve.Determining Fault in a Multi-Car Accident in Louisiana
With more than 4 million multi-car accidents occurring each year in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the factors that tend to cause these accidents include poor weather, reckless or distracted driving, drunk driving, speeding, road rage, and a general failure to drive carefully and responsibly. Louisiana is an at-fault state, meaning that courts will aim to determine who is at fault for an accident so they can hold that driver accountable. If it is found that the driver acted negligently or carelessly in causing the accident, then the court will hold the driver and their insurance company responsible for paying all injured parties’ damages. After a car accident, your personal injury damages can cover any expenses you’ve incurred treating your injuries with a doctor, lost earnings that occurred due to an inability to work due to your injuries, and pain and suffering damages if the injuries substantially impacted your quality of life. Determining damages in a two-car accident is usually fairly straightforward, but what happens when a multi-car accident reveals that more than one party might have caused the accident?Your New Orleans Car Accident Attorney Will Fight For You
Because fault is often spread among multiple vehicles after an accident, negotiating settlements can be more difficult after an accident. In Louisiana, the state has a comparative negligence rule, which essentially means that the courts will still compensate an injured party even if it’s shown that they were partially to blame. So how does it work? The courts will assign each party a percentage of responsibility based on the facts of the case and award compensation minus your percentage of fault in the accident. For example, let’s say a court finds that one driver was responsible for 50 percent of the crash, another was 20 percent responsible, and you were 10 percent to blame. You will still receive compensation for your injuries, minus 10 percent, to account for your fault in the crash. Louisiana’s comparative negligence rules are just one example of why it’s so crucial that you hire a New Orleans car accident attorney to help you argue your case. Our team will make sure you are well-positioned not to have any fault in the accident so that you can obtain the largest possible compensation award after a multi-car accident. Contact our offices online or call us at 504-599-9997 today to learn more.