The term, “multi-vehicle accident,” usually refers to a car crash involving three or more cars. These are often called pile-ups or chain-reaction collisions. They often result in serious injury or even death for motorists involved in the wreck. Multi-car pileups can also raise many complex legal issues in determining who is to blame for the accident and taking action to hold the responsible driver accountable for losses.
Multi-vehicle Pileup – Call A Car Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one was involved in a Rhode Island car accident, an experienced lawyer at Gemma Law Associates, Inc., can help you to pursue a claim for compensation. Our attorneys have represented clients in many multi-vehicle accidents, and we can put our legal knowledge of these challenging cases to work for you.
To schedule a free consultation, call or contact us online today.
Why Do Multi-Vehicle Pileups Happen in Rhode Island?
Multi-vehicle crashes can happen any time drivers behave in a careless way behind the wheel or any time drivers break any of the rules of the road. However, certain conditions can increase the likelihood of a multi-vehicle wreck. These conditions include:
- High traffic density
- Drivers traveling close together, such as on major interstate routes like I-95
- Narrow two-lane roads
- Low-visibility locations
- Bad weather, especially slippery and icy roads.
Speeding, tailgating, distracted driving, drowsy driving and rubbernecking can all contribute to causing multi-vehicle wrecks.
Determining Who Is to Blame and Taking Action
If you have been in a Rhode Island car accident involving multiple vehicles, an attorney at Gemma Law Associates, Inc., can assist you in determining who exactly was to blame for causing the wreck and your resulting injuries.
Our attorneys can then seek to hold the correct driver legally liable for medical bills and costs, lost income/wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress and/or the wrongful death of a loved one involved in the crash.
In some cases, there may be several different drivers and parties to blame for the accident.
For example, one motorist may cut off another who is speeding. The speeding motorist may be unable to stop in time and swerves into your car in the lane next to him. Both the speeding motorist and the driver who failed to yield could be held accountable.
Here’s another example: If a defect in the car or a hazardous road condition contributed to causing the accident, then both the driver and car manufacturer or government entity could potentially be to blame.
Under Rhode Island law, multiple parties who cause an accident and injuries can be held “jointly and severally” liable. In other words, they can all be held equally responsible for the injuries they cause
So, car accident victims who get hurt in a multi-car pileup could make a claim against one or all of the other drivers who caused the wreck and could obtain compensation from any of the drivers whose actions caused the crash.
Our Rhode Island Accident Attorneys Can Help with Your Multi-Car Accident Case
The rules on shared responsibility for car accidents can be confusing. That’s why it’s important to turn to an attorney who has experience investigating these cases and working through the many complex legal issues that can arise.
Once your attorney has determined who was to blame for your car accident, you can file a lawsuit or settle the case outside of court by agreeing to accept a payment in exchange for giving up your right to sue.
At Gemma Law Associates, Inc., we are ready to get to work for you if you have been hurt or lost a family member in a pile-up or chain-reaction collision.
Contact us today by phone or online to receive a free review of your case. If we take on your case, we can represent you on a contingency fee basis. This means that you pay no costs or fees unless we secure a recovery for you.
