Who is at Fault in a Multi-vehicle Crash?
Trusted Content
When you’re in a car accident in Florida involving three or more vehicles, it can be confusing to determine who caused the accident. Multi-vehicle accidents can take the form of a chain reaction crash or a pileup. Typically, Car A will be hit by Car B and then the cars behind Car B will not have enough time to stop and will crash into Car B. Sometimes Car A is hit by Car B and is pushed into Car C. There may be any number of cars involved in the crash depending on the speed of the vehicles and congestion on the roadway.
Who is at Fault?
There’s a rebuttable presumption in Florida that the driver who rear-ends the vehicle in front of them is responsible for the accident. This is because drivers are required to leave adequate space between themselves and the vehicle in front of them. However, determining liability will depend entirely on the circumstances. If, for instance, you were pushed into the vehicle in front of you by a car hitting you from the rear, then you may not be responsible. If you were pushed into the vehicle in front of you because you did not leave adequate space, you might be partially at fault. In some cases, multiple drivers might be at fault for the accident. When that is the case, liability will be divided based on the percentages of fault assigned to each driver.
Reconstructing the Accident
Sometimes experts such as accident reconstructionists or other investigators may be needed to put together the facts of an accident and determine who was at fault. In conducting an investigation, experts will consider different types of evidence including:
- Photos of the scene
- Vehicle damage
- Police reports
- Surveillance video
- Eyewitnesses accounts including all drivers and passengers and anyone else who may have witnessed the accident
- Any skid marks or vehicle debris left at the scene
Because many people have different versions of what happened, an investigator will have to compare witness testimonies with other evidence to determine what actually occurred.
Contact a Trusted Car Accident Attorney
Determining fault in a multi-vehicle crash can be a complicated matter. If you’ve been injured in a multi-vehicle crash, you should contact the attorneys at Abrahamson & Uiterwyk. We have been helping people injured in car accidents for over 30 years. Contact us online or call us at 1-800-538-4878 today to schedule your free consultation.