A multi-vehicle accident occurs when at least three vehicles are involved in an accident. Most of the time, the driver of one vehicle rear-ends another vehicle, and that vehicle is shoved into the rear of a third vehicle. Other multi-vehicle crash configurations exist though. For example, in an intersection collision, a vehicle turning left might get hit by a vehicle traveling straight through the intersection. Either of those vehicles can be thrown off course from the first impact and impact again with a third vehicle. Two other common causes of multi vehicle accidents are drunk drivers or distracted drivers. Then, there are the accidents when 20 or more vehicles might be involved in a pile-up on an icy roadway.
A Recent Philadelphia Multi-Vehicle Crash
A multi-vehicle accident in the city’s West Oak Lane section occurred at 67th Street and Orgontz Avenue at about 3:00 a.m. in late 2020. Two cars and a van were involved in the crash. Upon the arrival of police and paramedics, the van was found overturned and on its roof. There was no information as to whether anybody involved in the crash was under the influence of alcohol, drugs or both. Two people who were in serious condition were taken to a local hospital. The investigation into the cause of the crash continues.
Liability in Multi-Car Crashes
Rarely does a multi-car crash happen with three or more vehicles impacting at the same time. Typically, there’s an impact and a sequence of events that causes one or more other vehicles to get involved in the crash. It’s that sequence of events that must be examined in order to determine who was primarily liable for the multi-car crash. Ordinarily, the driver who causes the first impact is at fault. It’s entirely possible that two or more drivers might be held to be at faul in a crash. Liability would then be apportioned between the drivers on a percentage basis.
Don’t Give a Written or Recorded Statement
Determining who might be at fault in an accident involving two vehicles can sometimes be difficult. Determining liability in a multi-vehicle accident is considerably more difficult. If you were an injured victim of a multi-vehicle accident, don’t give any type of a statement about the crash to any opposing insurers. Pennsylvania law doesn’t require you to do that. Those insurers only intend on using your own words against you in the future to attack your credibility. Rather than doing that and possibly harming your case, you’ll want a thorough professional evaluation of all of the facts and circumstances surrounding your accident. After that, a liability determination can be made.
Contact a Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer:
After any accident involving a serious injury, contact a highly rated Philadelphia Auto Accident Lawyer such as Edith Pearce. Unlike the huge firms with dozens of attorneys and many different attorneys handling different aspects of your case, Edith Pearce is personally involved in every case that we handle. She genuinely cares about her clients and you will not be treated like just another case or file.