A multi-car accident can be a deadly situation. There are different vehicle cases that a Charlotte car accident attorney will handle in their lifetime. However, each time, the accident victims don’t get over the adverse consequences in a long time. Some develop life-threatening physical and mental conditions as a result of the collision. In some others, the clients are the family members of the deceased victim.
Many factors may influence the severity of injuries in a car crash. They include the location, time, your body’s position, speed, and airbags. Also, wearing airbags and putting on seat belts can significantly reduce your risk of severe injuries in an accident.
However, regardless of the type of injury you sustained, you must determine liability to get compensation. While detecting the at-fault party in single collisions may be easy, it’s much more difficult in multi-car accidents. So, we’ll discuss the meaning of multi-vehicle collisions in this article. As you read on, you’ll discover how to determine who’s responsible for one.
Who Is Responsible for a Multi-Car Accident in Charlotte?
As the name suggests, a multi-car vehicle crash involves several automobiles. The least number of vehicles in such accidents is three. However, in extreme cases, there may be as many as ten cars in the crash.
Different types of multi-car collisions may happen in Charlotte, North Carolina. The common ones include rear-end collisions and intersection crashes. In a rear-ended multi-vehicle accident, a rear driver may push a vehicle into another one in front of it. Meanwhile, intersection multi-car collisions usually happen when a driver negligently sets off a series of chain-reaction accidents at an intersection.
Liability in any multi-car accident depends on the case’s specifics. However, in every case, the at-fault party is the one who caused or contributed to the crash through negligence.
North Carolina uses the contributory negligence rule for determining liabilities in car crashes. Therefore, if you contributed to the accident in any way, you may not get any compensation for your injuries. However, your auto accident lawyer in Charlotte, N.C., will tell you if you were at fault in your multiple-vehicle accident case.
Common Injuries in a Chain Reaction Vehicle Accident
Many multi-car collisions set off a string of accidents that cause mild, moderate, or severe bodily injuries in their victims. The most common injuries in such cases are:
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Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
Traffic accidents may force you to hit your head on a hard surface. That can cause trauma in your brain. Common symptoms of TBIs include headaches, confusion, loss of consciousness, etc.
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Whiplash
Whiplash happens when you strain your neck due to a sudden forward and backward movement upon collision.
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Cuts and Lacerations
Different kinds of sharp objects may fly around when a car accident happens. In such cases, it’s easy for sharp objects to pierce a victim’s skin and make it bleed.
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Physiological Trauma
Asides from bodily injuries, multi-car accidents can adversely affect a victim’s psychology and emotions. As such, they may experience shock, depression, anxiety, and stress. Psychological traumas may require counseling and therapy. They may also take a long time to heal.
What if the Responsible Parties Have No Insurance?
In North Carolina, you can employ the joint and several liability rules in multi-vehicle accidents. Under joint and several liabilities, you may pursue a claim for damages from one of the negligent parties. Unfortunately, there are some cases where the at-fault party’s insurance cannot cover your compensation.
In such cases, you may look to your insurance company to compensate you. If you hold an underinsured policy, you may collect the remainder of damages from your insurance company. Where the driver has no insurance coverage at all, your lawyer may advise you to consider your underinsured policy.
Ted A. Greve and Associates Injury Lawyers Can Help Your Case
When you get in a multi-car accident with so many vehicles, it’s easy to be disoriented. First, you have to determine which of the many drivers are responsible for the accident. Next, you’ll need to worry about the rigorous compensation processes you’ll have to navigate. Don’t forget that you will do all that while still recuperating from bodily and psychological trauma from the crash.
That’s a lot for one person, and you shouldn’t have to do all that alone. That’s why you must let expert Charlotte auto accident lawyers take the burden off your shoulders. At Ted A. Greve and Associates, we believe that you deserve maximum compensation for your injuries and nothing less. So contact us for a free case review today, and let’s get started on your case without any upfront fees.
