Not every car accident involves two vehicles colliding. Collisions often involve a single vehicle, and they can also involve three or more vehicles. When three cars collide, it can be more difficult to diagnose who is responsible for the accident and who should pay for the damages.

To accurately determine liability for a three-car accident, a car accident lawyer must know the exact circumstances under which the collision happened. There are some common three-car accident scenarios that you can consider, as your own accident may fall within one of these categories.

Common Examples of Three-Car Accidents: Who’s at Fault in Each?

It is not always possible to place a motor vehicle accident into a single category. These collisions can be messy, and it is not always easy to describe them without extensive detail. However, some categories we can use to describe certain three-car accidents include:

Intersection Accidents

Intersections have an unusually high likelihood of being the location of a multi-car accident.

This is the case because:

• Many cars are close together
• Vehicles are traveling in multiple different directions
• Pedestrians, bicyclists, and scooter riders may also be present
• Motorists and pedestrians must know the various traffic signals that exist at an intersection
• Motorists may be frustrated by long waits at a light or other traffic-related headaches, potentially leading to dangerous driving actions

If two vehicles collide or a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, the constant traffic flow at an intersection poses a high likelihood that more vehicles will collide. This means a high likelihood of multi-vehicle accidents at intersections.

Chain-Reaction Rear-End Collisions

In many driving scenarios, several cars drive consecutively, one vehicle close behind the other. Each driver is responsible for leaving substantial room between their vehicle and the vehicle in front, but this does not always happen.

Chain-reaction rear-end collisions are one of the most common types of three-car (or more) accidents and can happen when multiple vehicles are tailgating. One motorist may stop, causing the vehicle behind them to strike their vehicle from behind. Then, another vehicle may strike the second stopped vehicle, and so on.

Sudden stopping clarifies which drivers are maintaining a safe distance, paying attention to the road, and taking other measures to avoid collisions.

Collisions Resulting from Fallen Cargo

An ever-growing American population and economy require trucks to constantly move freight across the United States. Even when most truckers and trucking companies prioritize safety, accidents involving fallen cargo are bound to happen.

When cargo falls from a truck or another type of vehicle, it can:

• Fall onto the hood of a trailing vehicle, causing a chain-reaction collision
• Remain in the road, causing one vehicle to strike the cargo, another vehicle to strike that stopped vehicle, and so on
• Remain in the roadway, causing multiple independent collisions between motor vehicles and the fallen cargo

When cargo is liquid, it may cause motorists to lose control of their vehicles, leading to multi-car collisions.

Weather-Related Accidents

Motorists must adjust their driving behaviors to suit dangerous weather conditions. Rain, snow, ice, and fog are among the events that can increase the risk of a multi-vehicle accident. Dangerous weather can decrease visibility, cause slick roads, and trigger other events that lead to multi-vehicle collisions. The risk increases when motorists fail to slow down or use appropriate caution in these conditions.

Who Is Financially Liable for a Three-Car Accident?

The details of each three-car accident determine who is liable for the crash.

Potentially liable parties include:

• A motorist who triggers the initial collision
• Any motorist who failed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front during a rear-end collision
• A municipality responsible for dangerous road conditions that caused an accident
• A trucker or trucking company responsible for fallen cargo
• A motor vehicle manufacturer or mechanic whose negligence led to a collision

The cost of any motor vehicle accident can be great. Multi-vehicle accidents may expose a victim to multiple high-speed impacts and produce potentially life-changing injuries. Your lawyer will determine who is responsible for such injuries.

Hire a Car Accident Attorney as Soon as Possible

Most states place a time limit on your ability to file a personal injury lawsuit. Even if you do not ultimately file a lawsuit, your lawyer must have the ability to file a lawsuit. If insurance companies or other liable parties know your lawyer can sue, they may be more inclined to settle your case fairly.

You should also hire a lawyer as soon as possible so that:

• You can direct your attention to recovery as soon as possible
• Your lawyer can gather all relevant evidence as quickly as possible, especially evidence that may become unavailable over time
• Your lawyer can protect you from insurance companies, those who caused your accident, and other parties who may be actively trying to submarine your case

Your attorney will work to resolve your case as quickly as possible. If they are successful, this means getting compensation for you as soon as possible.

How to Protect Your Health After the Accident

Motor vehicle accidents cause tens of thousands of deaths each year. This speaks to the severity of car accident-related injuries and underlines the importance of protecting your own health.

You may look out for your health after a car accident by:

• Undergoing a full evaluation as soon as possible
• Getting documentation of all your accident-related injuries
• Demanding and following a clear treatment plan for each of your injuries
• Keeping a diary about the progression of your recovery and injury symptoms
• Receiving regular treatment for your injuries, especially if a doctor recommends it

Your attorney can also help you gather and organize records related to your injuries.

How Can a Lawyer Help Me?

A lawyer will work to secure the compensation you deserve, but this does not adequately describe their responsibilities. A car accident lawyer and their team can:

Establish Liability for Your Damages

Your lawyer will be the one to determine who is liable for your accident. The party or parties liable for the accident will also be liable for your damages.

Obtain and Organize Evidence

Your attorney will secure all evidence that is a benefit to your case, which may include:

• The police report from your accident
• Video footage of the accident
• Witness accounts of the accident
• Expert testimony about who is liable for the accident
• Photographs of damage to your vehicle
• A digital reconstruction of the collision
• Any other evidence that helps prove your case

Attorneys who have handled many car accident cases know which evidence to look for. They may have systems, including in-house investigators, to efficiently gather and preserve all evidence.

Secure Proof of Your Damages

Evidence of damages is one of the essential building blocks of a claim or lawsuit.

Useful documentation may include:

• Medical records detailing your injuries
• Doctors’ testimony detailing the treatment you will need to reach recovery
• Medical bills for all services you have received to date
• Testimony from mental health professionals about the nature of your pain and suffering
• Invoices for temporary transportation
• Proof of your average weekly income and proof that you have lost this income while injured
• Any other documentation that illustrates your accident-related damages

Your lawyer will work to thwart the defendants’ claims that your damages are less severe than you claim. Airtight documentation can achieve this goal.

Manage the Day-to-Day Demands of Your Case

The process of completing a lawsuit or insurance claim is complex. From extensive paperwork to regular communications with all parties involved in the case, your lawyer will complete all the demands of your claim or suit.

Lead Settlement Negotiations

Your attorney will spare you from settlement negotiations, which can be tense. Liable parties may call into question your version of the accident. They may even claim that your injuries are nonexistent, not accident related, or exaggerated. Your lawyer will support you, making your case for compensation based on evidence and documentation.

Take Your Case to Trial

Trials are statistically rare in car accident cases and other civil injury cases. However, attorneys take civil cases to trial for various reasons, including because liable parties refuse to settle for the amount the plaintiff deserves.

If your case requires a trial, your attorney will handle it.

How Should I Choose a Lawyer to Represent Me After a Three-Car Accident?

Choosing a lawyer is not exactly an art or a science, as you may rely on both your own instincts and some objective measures of a law firm.

Objective criteria can be a starting point in your search for an attorney.

You may consider:

• The settlements and judgments that a law firm has obtained for other car accident victims
• The number of years the practice has been representing car accident victims while longevity is not a guarantee that a law firm will be successful, it may be an indicator of experience.
• Practice areas, as a law firm that focuses heavily or primarily on car accident cases, may be one that catches your attention.

Keep in mind that a firm with many practice areas can also be effective at handling your case. Such firms may simply have a broad range of legal experience and the resources necessary to serve many different clients.

When it comes to your instincts, you may consider:

• The general feeling that a law firm gives during your free consultation
• The seeming honesty that law firms’ representatives give when answering your questions
• The testimonials of former clients, may alert you to potential red flags or instill confidence that a firm treats its clients with respect

One critical piece of advice when choosing a lawyer: Do not rush the process. While you should show urgency in hiring an attorney, weigh your options carefully before retaining an attorney. If you feel at any point that you have chosen the wrong attorney, you can hire a new firm to take over your case.

What Damages Can a Three-Car Accident Victim Get Compensation For?

Not every traffic crash involves multiple vehicles. However, collisions involving two or more vehicles cause 77 percent of all accident-related injuries.

Injuries are usually the root of most of your recoverable damages, which may include:

• Medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Lost income
• Lost earning power
• The cost of temporary transportation
• Repair or replacement costs for a damaged vehicle and other personal property
• Treatment expenses for psychological or emotional injuries

Each car accident victim has a different response to a collision. The nature and severity of injuries, the violence of the collision, and the extent of financial damages are key variables in cases like yours.

Having an attorney to identify, monitor, and calculate your damages may provide much peace of mind. With a lawyer, you eliminate the risk of overlooking damages, miscalculating the cost of your losses, or accepting a settlement that undervalues your damages.

Contingency Fees Minimize the Financial Risk of Hiring a Lawyer

Contingency fees are common among accident and injury attorneys. In this fee structure, the client does not pay any upfront or out-of-pocket fees to the law firm. The firm covers case-related expenses but receives a percentage of any recovery they get for the client.

This fee structure requires the attorney to earn their fee and allows the client to avoid any direct costs from the law firm.

Call Local Car Accident Law Firms Today to Seek Justice for Your Injuries

No matter how many vehicles are involved in your collisions, motorists injured through no fault of their own deserve justice. You may get compensation even if you partially contributed to your collision, so speak with local law firms about your case as soon as possible.

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