Personal Injury Firm
Illinois may represent the crossroads of the nation, but sometimes those crossroads can turn dangerous, sometimes even downright deadly. Illinois has the distinction of being a vibrant and active state. Cars and large trucks take to our roadways to conduct their daily business as well as to community and transport goods across the country.
Unfortunately, Illinois also has the distinction of being one of the deadliest states for car accidents according to numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as compiled by U.S. News. One of the most devastating types of crashes that impact drivers is the multi-vehicle accident.
Multivehicle accidents pose unique and significant risks to all drivers involved. What’s more, the injuries from these types of accidents can be substantial, resulting in expensive medical bills and time missed from work. Due to the unique nature of these accidents and the multiple drivers involved it can be complicated getting the compensation that you are due. There are questions as to who is liable for the accident and who should have to pay? You shouldn’t get bogged down dealing with these issues when you should be focusing on your recovery.
That’s why you need the legal team at Chapman Injury Lawyers on your side. We have experience handling multi-vehicle crashes and can untangle the complex web of questions that can arise. If you’ve been injured in an accident where multiple vehicles were involved, turn to Chapman Injury Lawyers for help. Schedule a free consultation by calling us at (812) 461-6345 today.
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What is a Multi-Vehicle Crash?
Several different types of multi-vehicle accidents can occur on Illinois roadways. One of the most recognizable types of multi-vehicle accident is the pile-up accident. Pile-up accidents are often the result of poor weather conditions or poor visibility on roadways. Other types of multi-vehicle collisions include:
While weather and poor visibility tend to play a large role in the cause of these types of crashes other factors can contribute to multi-car accidents as well. While weather conditions are sometimes to blame, these types of crashes are largely preventable when drivers take proper safety precautions and change their driving behavior, such as slowing down or leaving extra space between cars. These tend to be some of the more common causes of multi-vehicle accidents:
Multi-vehicle accidents pose challenges when it comes to establishing liability. In reality, most multi-vehicle crashes do not occur by three cars hitting each other simultaneously. Typically, one car or large truck is at fault and their negligent actions cause a chain reaction to happen involving more and more vehicles. However, when multiple cars are involved and there is an extensive amount of damage and rubble to sift through it can become challenging putting together the sequence of events that lead to the initial impact. The accident may also have been caused due to a combination of negligent actions, while one driver is more responsible, another may also bear some liability because while they didn’t directly cause the crash, they were following too closely. This makes establishing liability difficult.
The state of Illinois subscribes to what is known as a “comparative negligence” doctrine when it comes to liability in car accident cases. A comparative negligence rule means that when a jury considers a case, they are looking at two main factors, the total dollar amount of the damages a victim is claiming and the percentage fault each driver bears for the accident. If the plaintiff or victim is found to be 20 percent at fault and the other driver is 80 percent at fault. The victim can collect the total number of damages minus 20 percent. However, no driver can collect damages if they are more than 50 percent at fault for an accident.
It is a straightforward rule that can become muddied when putting in the context of multiple drivers being involved in an accident. For drivers hurt in a multi-vehicle accident, it is important to immediately retain legal aid. An experienced lawyer from Chapman Injury Lawyers can immediately begin to gather evidence and find experts to recreate the accident. This is immensely important to your case to establish fault and maximize your compensation.
If you or a loved one is suffering from injuries from a multi-vehicle accident, don’t trust the insurance companies to sort it out. Contact an experienced attorney who has the time and resources to investigate this type of serious accident. At Chapman Injury Lawyers we want to help you get the full composition you deserve after a life-changing accident like a multi-car crash. Contact us today at (812) 461-6345 and we will help you review your legal options. The consultation is free, so call today.
Don’t face this alone.
NEIL CHAPMAN, LAWYER
8124632110 
