A pile up car accident is one where multiple cars are involved. It happens when there is a lot of traffic close together and cars are pushed into one another during an accident. A pile up can happen with cars, trucks, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, semi-trucks, or a combination of these vehicles. In most pile up accidents there is more than one liable party, and this can make it difficult for victims to make a proper claim.

Some examples of this special type of personal injury case include:

  • Cars following too closely: a general rule of the road is to leave a safe distance between yourself and the car in front of you, when you fail to do so and are hit from behind a chain reaction is created whereby the car in the middle is not only hit from behind but also hits the car in front. This situation puts the middle driver in the position of making a claim against the rear car, and the driver of the front car making a claim against the middle driver. Issues arise when the middle driver attempts to escape liability by placing blame on the rear driver.
  • Cars arriving on the scene that are unable to stop: when an accident has happened and the cars that are coming up on the scene cannot safely stop, another accident might take place. This is similar to following too closely and each case must be examined individually to determine who was at fault.

Some of the best ways to establish liability in these cases are to look at the police report, talk to witnesses, and examine the final resting position of the vehicles. These pieces of evidence, when put together, form a complete picture of how the accident happened and which driver or drivers are at fault. The damage done to each vehicle also helps to tell the story, and a mechanic or other accident reconstructionist can look at the physical condition of the cars and make a determination as to how close cars were to each other at the time of impact or what direction a vehicle was traveling.

If you have been in a pile up car accident, call us for help. Contact the attorneys at Yetnikoff Law Offices, PLLC for answers to your questions by calling us at 800-279-6331 or visiting us online