A car accident is always a distressing scene when it involves serious injuries as well as property damage to vehicles, but few accidents are as traumatic as those involving multiple collisions and injuries to motorists in three or more cars. Multi-vehicle pile-up accidents in Washington are not as common as two-vehicle collisions, but they typically occur in fast-moving traffic and result in multiple severe injuries and fatalities. Make sure to speak with an experienced Lake Stevens car accident lawyer for legal guidance and support.
What Causes Multi-Car Pile-up Accidents In Washington?
Multi-vehicle collisions happen most commonly in fast-moving traffic with multiple lanes of vehicles moving in the same direction at high speeds. These accidents are sometimes called chain-reaction accidents. Typical multi-car crashes begin with a single car accident or a collision between two vehicles. Because of the fast-paced moving traffic, drivers may lack adequate time to stop or maneuver around the initial crash, resulting in additional collisions. The most common causes of multi-vehicle pileup car accidents in Washington include the following:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Improper merging
- Unsafe lane changes
- Tire blowouts
- Sideswipe collisions
- Rear-end collisions
- Mechanical failures
Poor visibility, slippery roads, and inclement weather conditions commonly cause or contribute to multi-car pileups, but drivers have a legal duty of reasonable care to adjust their speed and braking time appropriately to accommodate hazardous conditions.
Although Washington multi-vehicle accidents begin due to one driver’s initial error or recklessness, it can be challenging to uncover the cause and determine the correct liable party or parties responsible.
Proving Liability for a Multi-Car Pile-up
It often takes an in-depth investigation into all aspects of a multi-vehicle pile-up accident to determine liability. Under Washington’s pure comparative negligence insurance laws, insurance investigators assign a percentage of fault to those involved in multi-car pileup accidents. Typically, the initial collision is caused by one driver’s careless, reckless, or wrongful actions, but other drivers who added to the pileup may also be partly at fault for contributing to the accident if they were speeding or otherwise negligent.
For an injury victim to recover compensation, they must first prove the other driver’s or multiple drivers’ liability. Proving liability for Washington car accidents requires evidence demonstrating the following legal standards of liability:
- The driver owed a duty of reasonable care to others on the road
- They breached this duty through negligence
- The breach of duty caused the accident and injuries
- The injury victim suffered damages from the injury
A Lake Stevens injury lawyer investigates the accident with the goal of protecting the injury victim’s best interests, while the goal of the insurance investigators is to protect company profits.
What Types of Damages Are Recoverable In Washington Multi-Vehicle Pile-up Accidents?
Pileup accidents often result in severe injuries, especially when an injury victim’s vehicle receives multiple impacts from additional collisions. Injuries are expensive to treat as well as painful and potentially life-altering. Common damages recovered in multi-care pileups include:
- Reimbursement for medical expenses
- Anticipated future medical expenses
- Lost earnings
- Future income loss or diminished future earning ability
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Catastrophic injury compensation for injuries such as loss of limb, disfigurement, scarring, loss of vision, hearing loss, or loss of enjoyment of life due to disability
If a multi-car pile-up accident in Washington causes a fatality, the closest surviving family member can recover compensation through a Washington wrongful death claim by the deceased loved one’s legal representative.
How Can a Washington Car Accident Lawyer Help After a Multi-Vehicle Pile-up Accident?
Instead of leaving your critical car accident claim in the hands of insurance companies that are not on your side, reach out to Wells Trumbull for a personalized strategy to recover the maximum compensation available to you. Contact us today.