Atlanta Multi-Vehicle Accident Injury Attorney

“Multi-vehicle accidents” refer to crashes involving more than two motor vehicles. This can be as few as three, where one car rear-ends another, pushing it into another car, or many more. These crashes tend to be dangerous, and the ensuing cases are more complicated.

For example, let’s say four vehicles collide in a rear-end pile-up crash, one after the other. The first vehicle sustains not just the initial hit, but two more impacts following that. The result is that you have numerous insurance companies who wind up being responsible for paying claims for those injured in the first car.

But it gets even more complicated. In any rear-end collision, there is a rebuttable presumption that the rear driver is at-fault. So the person driving the second car would be presumed liable for rear-ending the first car. The front damage to Car No. 2’s vehicle would be the responsibility of Car No. 2’s driver. However, the rear damage to Car No. 2 would be the responsibility of the driver in Car No. 3 or Car No. 4 – or both.

So then it becomes a matter of sorting out degrees of fault. Per O.C.G.A. 51-12-33, Georgia is a modified comparative fault state with a 50 percent bar, and each party in a crash is responsible for paying his/her own share of the damages. In short, this means that if you are 20 percent liable for the crash and the other driver is 80 percent at-fault, you are only entitled to collect 80 percent of the damages. The other driver, because he/she was half or more responsible, would not be entitled to collect anything from you. But in a pile-up, how do you determine what share of liability that the driver of Car No. 2 has versus the driver of Car No. 4?

Many multiple-vehicle pile-ups occur on highways, which means large trucks are more likely to be involved. Large trucks can cause significantly more damage than smaller vehicles, so they may be compelled to pay more. However, trucking companies often structure their corporations in a manner that can be confusing and is intended to minimize liability and payouts. It is imperative to work with an experienced accident lawyer if a large truck was involved in the crash.

Now consider that most auto insurance policies carry a per-accident limit that is more tailored for two-vehicle accidents. The minimum amount of bodily injury coverage required in Georgia is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash. But if eight people are injured, a $50,000 policy isn’t going to go very far. One person injured may collect from multiple liability policies, and it still might not be enough to cover their losses. In those situations, they may need to file a claim with their own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) insurance carrier. This is coverage for which you pay that kicks in when the at-fault driver(s) lack adequate insurance to compensate you for the full extent of your damages. But even when you’re the one who’s paid those premiums, don’t expect UM/UIM coverage to be an easy claim. Working with an experienced injury lawyer who has proven skills in accident investigation, insurer negotiation, and civil trial preparation is key to establishing your claim and receiving compensation.

The worst multi-vehicle accidents tend to be perfect storms of catastrophe. For example, perhaps the weather is very foggy, and visibility is low. Drivers traveling quickly down the highway don’t have enough time to spot a slowdown or collision in front of them and adjust accordingly. They crash into the vehicle ahead, and a pileup ensues.

Smaller-scale, multiple-vehicle accidents can be much simpler. For example, perhaps the driver of Car No. 3 was following Car No. 2 too closely. If Car No. 2 is rear-ended, it can be catapulted into Car No. 1 in front of it. The driver of Car No. 2 could still be liable for colliding into Car No. 1, but their share of fault may be mitigated by the actions of Car No. 2’s driver.

Proving liability in multi-vehicle accidents can be difficult, not just because there are so many parties involved, but because fault may not be clear-cut. For example, one may be traveling the posted speed limit, but not at a safe speed given the road conditions, such as fog, brush fire smoke, or heavy rain. Determining what was “too fast for conditions” can be more subjective than simply establishing that someone exceeded the posted speed limit. In these difficult cases, having an experienced lawyer by your side is critical.

If you’ve been in a pileup, follow these steps to ensure your safety and your rights:

1. Seek Medical Treatment.

If you were hurt in a motor vehicle collision, you need to get yourself to a medical professional for a thorough evaluation. Crash injuries can be much more severe than they initially appear. Conditions like traumatic brain injury and whiplash may only be clear to a medical doctor after several rounds of tests. Failure to seek immediate medical attention following a crash can hamper your success in an Atlanta car accident injury lawsuit.

2. Report the Accident to the Authorities.

Crashes resulting in injury or $500+ in property damage must be reported to state or local authorities, per Georgia law. If you’re in a multi-vehicle accident, chances are someone is already calling for help, but it doesn’t hurt to pick up the phone and dial for emergency aid if you’re able. Just be sure that when you do, you only give the basic facts (a crash has occurred, X-number of vehicles involved, the location, and the likelihood that people are hurt), and don’t admit any fault. Even if you think you might be partially to blame, it’s impossible for anyone to know that so early in the investigation. Accepting blame before talking to an attorney can be detrimental to your claim.

3. Contact an Atlanta Car Accident Attorney

No claimant in a multiple-vehicle crash should attempt to navigate the claims process on their own, even if their injuries were relatively moderate. Reach out to our attorneys at Apolinsky & Associates, LLC, for a consultation on your multi-vehicle collision accident claim.

When a multi-vehicle accident occurs in Georgia, injured victims can press civil charges against the responsible party. However, they must do so before the statute of limitations runs out.

The statute of limitations is the amount of time you have from when the multi-vehicle accident occurs until you can no longer file a lawsuit. Your case does not have to conclude by the end of the statute, it just has to be filed before.

Under GA Code § 9-3-33, the statute of limitations holds that victims injured by multi-vehicle accidents in Georgia have just two years to bring personal injury claims forward. After those two years, a court will dismiss your claim.

It is important to remember that oftentimes, insurance companies will engage in stalling techniques to run out the clock and avoid paying you anything. Victims are advised to contact a personal injury lawyer experienced in multi-vehicle accident injury cases to negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf and build your case.