Multi-Vehicle Accidents
Have You Been in a Multi-Vehicle Accident?
It can be difficult to determine who is at fault in any accident, but it becomes even harder when there are multiple vehicles or other kinds of parties involved. For example, there may be an accident initially caused by the lack of a stop sign in a place where visibility is poor, or by debris left in a travel lane causing drivers to take evasive action. Just one lawsuit might involve multiple drivers, a governmental agency in charge of signage, and other parties such as pedestrians. To make things even more confusing, not everyone understands the public safety rules, and may not be aware that they are breaking the law. Add to that that there is often more than one cause to an accident; this happens a lot where multiple are driving too close and crash into each other. It can be very confusing when you have been in an accident.
First Things First: Get an Accident Report
Always make sure to call the emergency or non-emergency number, depending on the extent and nature of your injuries, to first of all get immediate medical help and also to have an unbiased law enforcement officer create a report. Upon arriving at the scene of the accident, local police, California Highway Patrol, or another law enforcement officer will take down all the information, including your personal details, insurance information, the make and model of your vehicle, and the contact information for any witnesses. If the officer doesn’t get the witness information, or if there are witnesses who leave before the officer arrives, take down their contact information in case their testimony is needed later. Most importantly, the officer will note where the damage is if there were any injuries, and how the accident happened. Usually, the officer will make a drawing showing how the accident happened to make it simple to understand. Then you can request a copy of the collision report in person or by mail from California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles Police Department, or elsewhere, depending on which law enforcement agency initially took the traffic collision report.
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Liability Laws in California
In California, the courts understand that things are not always simple. That is why the liability laws allow that several individuals may be responsible for any specific accident (joint and several liability). In California, you can obtain payments for your compensatory damages, including economic and non-economic damages, and all other losses even if you were partially at fault (comparative negligence).
The victim of an accident needs to prove these elements under the negligence theory:
- The defendant had a duty of care to either do a certain act or refrain from a certain act.
- The defendant failed to abide by that duty. It can be enough to show that the defendant broke a traffic law.
- That failure to follow the duty of care caused the plaintiff’s injury.
- The plaintiff needs to be able to quantify the injuries, usually with a dollar amount.
How an Experienced Attorney Can Help?
The last thing you want to do if you have been injured is to try to figure all this out on your own. That is why many people at least take advantage of a free consultation with a personal injury attorney, where they can explain what happened to someone who is bound by the rules of confidentiality. An attorney can help you collect the information you need to build a claim, talk to witnesses, look for other evidence such as cameras, and perform other important tasks to help preserve your rights. Your attorney will help you decide whether to make a statement or if you should wait. Importantly, an experienced auto accident attorney can help you assess the value of your case and start working on your case right away, without first collecting any payment for consultations or anything else.
There are time limits as to how long you have before you file a case so it’s better to get advice right away. If you or a loved one has been in an accident and don’t know what to do next, contact Legal Passkey today and we can help you find the right lawyer for your case.
