Multiple Car Accidents: How Other Drivers May Put the Blame on You

Multiple car accidents are probably the most horrifying thing you can see on the roads of Miami or anywhere else across Florida. That’s because chain reaction accidents are the most devastating and usually result in multiple injuries or fatalities.

Now that we’re approaching the holiday season, car accidents involving multiple cars are expected to rise sharply due to an increased number of alcohol-impaired drivers driving under the influence (to buy a Christmas tree/visit their relatives/make urgent DUI trips to buy even more booze, etc.).

Many chain reaction accidents are caused by a single driver’s negligence, but it’s not uncommon when this type of car accident is the result of negligence by multiple drivers.

While only in a small percentage of multiple car accidents the negligent driver admits the fault, most chain reaction car accidents – especially those resulting in injuries and deaths – require the help of experienced car accident attorneys to establish the chain of events leading up to every single collision in the multiple car crash.

Multiple accidents are not uncommon in Miami

Fact: multiple car accidents in Miami and Florida are not uncommon, as the state accounts for more than 370,000 car accidents annually.

Here at Neufeld, Kleinberg & Pinkiert, PA, our Miami car accident lawyers were involved in the process of reviewing a five-car accident in Northwest Miami-Dade four years ago.

2013 chain reaction accident that killed one driver and injured another saw multiple cars travelling both east and west when they collided. One crash led to another, which resulted in damages to five cars.

Police was searching for witnesses and requested the red light cameras at the intersection to determine liability in the multiple car accident. The conclusion of the investigation was never reported to the media.

Sadly but true, multiple car accidents like the 2013 one occur every day all across our nation. Given the severity of injuries and the high risk of a fatal outcome, we asked our multiple car accident attorneys to reveal some of the biggest challenges in handling such cases.

Biggest challenges of chain reaction car accidents

Under state laws in Florida, Miami uses a standard of pure comparative negligence to determine liability in car accidents and other accidents caused by negligence. What it means is that each driver, bicyclist, motorcyclist or pedestrian in Miami involved in a car accident will have his/her compensation limited by the amount they were negligent in the accident.

For example, if you’re seeking damages from two other drivers and your actions are deemed to be 20% negligent, then your damages will be cut by 20% from the total amount of damages sustained in the accident.

It’s never advised to navigate car accidents, let alone multiple ones, without being legally represented when the pure comparative negligence system applies, as if any of the drivers involved in the car accident hires their own lawyer, they will use every bit of evidence against you to put the blame on you.
This may either minimize your recovery damages in a settlement or even assign you 100% liability for the chain reaction accident.

Another challenge of navigating multiple car accidents, our Miami car accident attorney warn, is that there may be other factors that must be taken into account: bad visibility distracted driving, road construction nearby, weather conditions, road conditions, aggressive driving, etc.

What to do in a multiple car accident?

Our best car accident lawyers in Florida advise drivers involved in a multiple car accident to do the following at the scene of the car crash:

• Make sure you and everyone else is safe and receives proper medical attention if necessary;
• Police must come to the scene to create a police report;
• Take photographs at the scene, especially skid marks and car damages from multiple angles;
• Exchange insurance information with all the parties involved in the car accident;
• Before reporting the accident to your insurance company, consult a Miami multiple car accident lawyer to know your best course of action.

Your insurer may attempt to minimize your compensation after conducting its own biased investigation, while lawyers of other parties may put the blame for the car accident on you.

That’s why it’s strongly advised to have an experienced car accident attorney by your side to find solid evidence of other parties’ negligence and obtain the compensation that you truly deserve.

Consult our car crash attorneys at Neufeld, Kleinberg & Pinkiert, PA by calling at 305.931.6666, 954-523-8292 or complete this contact form. Get a free initial consultation.