Getting into a car accident with just one other vehicle is complicated enough. There’s the stress of the accident itself, sharing information with a complete stranger, calling the police — all before leaving the scene.
Even after you’ve had any injuries checked out and gotten your car off for repairs, the conversation about the car accident isn’t over. You’ll talk to your insurance company, and maybe even hire a lawyer.
Think about the stress and complications; now multiply it by six. For our client, that’s what happened when a six-car collision, along Cobb Parkway in Acworth, put her right in the middle of everything.
When a car accident pile up happens
Sitting safely, she thought, in the left turn lane on a major highway, waiting for the light to change, our client had no idea she was about to be in a car accident.
First, a car coming from the other direction jumped the grass median and slammed into the car in front of her. Before getting over the shock of witnessing a car accident happen to others, another car did basically the same thing and crashed into her.
Both of these cars ended up causing accidents because of a rear-end collision on their side of the road. The two vehicles involved in that car accident were blocking the road, and the cars that went over the median did so because they were driving fast and the roads were wet. When trying to avoid the first car wreck, these conditions led to them losing control of their own vehicles and causing even more damage.
With so many cars involved, six total, nobody wanted to take responsibility for our client’s damages.
Why it’s so hard to establish fault
Multi-car accidents are challenging to sort out because there are so many moving parts to the situation. Multiple cars have damage, multiple people can sustain injuries, and even nearby property can get damaged.
The chain reaction of a multi-car accident can be a mixture of driver error, road condition, hazards, and more. High speeds definitely play into many scenarios involving more than two cars, and was a significant factor for our client’s situation.
Evidence can be one way to help establish fault. This means looking at any security camera footage, how vehicles were damaged, and taking witness testimony. Other factors do come under consideration, but the best way to make sense of this is to reach out to a car accident lawyer. They’ll look at each piece of the overall car accident and try to collect compensation from all parties who could be at fault for your damages.
Sifting through the finger pointing
Although we were able to file suit against all potential at-fault drivers in this specific situation, insurance companies continued shirking responsibility and pointing fingers at everyone else. We picked up the fight so our client wouldn’t have to wait this behavior out forever.
She had medical bills and a wrecked car to worry about, and we helped make sure the right parties took responsibility for what happened to her.
After deposing all the other drivers, we came to the conclusion that two parties were at fault — both the driver who caused the initial car accident, and the one going too fast given the road conditions who ultimately hit our client.
Settling in mediation
Even though our client waited way too long for her settlement, thanks to the behavior of the insurance companies, during mediation, both insurance companies ended up paying a portion of the requested amount. Since our client didn’t suffer serious injuries, the settlement amount was modest and easier to negotiate.
Although other personal injury law firms turned down her case because she wasn’t catastrophically injured, the need to rectify the injustice of not paying at all made the case important to us.
Justice no matter the size or shape
At Watson Injury Law, we fight for justice for all our clients, no matter how big or small their case is. If you’re in a car accident and sustain any injuries or material damage, it’s not okay for insurance companies to not pay. You’re entitled to what you deserve, and we’ll work tirelessly to try and get it for you. Don’t feel like you can’t find legal support, contact us today for a free consultation.