The U.S. Department of Transportation offers some shocking statistics about the costs of car accidents. According to their most recent data, motor vehicle accidents cost Americans $339.8 billion annually. Moreover, it can take $979,000 to care for a critically injured victim.
The financial implications can become magnified by several factors in a multi-car accident. Proper preparation, evidence gathering, and knowledge of the law are vital to get the compensation you deserve. Consider how the court will examine your liability and how it will affect the damages with us today.
Contributory Negligence in Multi-Car Accidents
One approach is to assign a percentage of fault to each driver. For example, consider a scenario with three cars involved. The court might attribute one driver as having 50% of the responsibility, 30% to another, and 20% to the third.
Each individual in this circumstance may receive a different amount of damages. But what goes into their pocket depends on state law and the legal doctrines legislators have adopted. This is one of the ways that courts determine fault after a multi-car accident.
The following sections will explain how this process works in different states. Notably, these may factor into many types of car accidents.
Pure Comparative Negligence
Pure comparative negligence means a plaintiff may recover damages even if they share some of the fault. This is one of the ways that courts determine fault after a multi-car accident. However, they will receive less according to the proportion of their accountability. You can find a list of the states that operate their litigation this way below the conclusion of this article.
Assume a case exists where a plaintiff is 50% at fault for an accident. And imagine the damages assigned to the defendant by the court is $100,000. The plaintiff would only recover $50,000 in damages, reflecting how much blame they had for the incident.
Now, go one step further to examine what happens in a multi-car accident. One plaintiff is 20% at fault, the second is 10% liable, and the third is 5% responsible. If they did not carry any of the blame, they would receive $33,333 each. But we need to calculate how much they receive after factoring in their comparative negligence.
The first driver in this scenario loses $6,666 for their assignment of 20%. Overall, this individual would take home $26,667.
The second driver in this scenario loses $3,333 for their 10% liability. This results in them receiving $30,000 from the defendant.
Finally, the third driver would only lose $1,666.65 by carrying 5% of the responsibility. Their share of the damages becomes $31,666.35.
Modified Comparative Negligence
Some states use a legal doctrine called modified comparative negligence. Depending on the details, you could receive nothing if a judge or jury finds you are substantially to blame. This is one of the potentially unfortunate ways that courts determine fault after a multi-car accident.
Many jurisdictions with this rule use a 50% threshold. As a result, a plaintiff can only recover damages if they are 49% or less at fault. If a plaintiff is 50% or more to blame, they may not recover damages.
There are notable variations of modified comparative negligence. For instance, some states have a 51% threshold. In others, there may also be a sliding scale. This method means recovery goes down by degrees, but only up to a certain point.
How the Law Factors Into Fault in a Multi-Car Accident
Courts hear complicated arguments based on current law and legal precedent during these cases. This portion of the article will examine a few critical factors and how they can affect your case. It will also help better establish exactly how courts determine fault after a multi-car accident.
Immediate Hazards
An immediate hazard is a situation where a driver suddenly and unexpectedly faces danger. A few examples that would qualify include the following:
- Animals running into traffic
- Pedestrians jaywalking onto the street
- Other drivers making unexpected lane changes
- Changes in road conditions, such as debris or potholes
- Malfunctioning traffic signals
- Sudden tire blowouts or engine failures
Immediate hazards can be particularly challenging for drivers. They often require quick thinking and split-second decisions to evade an accident. Even their best efforts may not be enough to avoid a collision, particularly in multi-car accidents. After all, the driver forced to take evasive action may get rear-ended by another motorist.
Some states require individuals to pay attention to immediate hazards. Under California law, they must remain vigilant around crosswalks, intersections, or private property. As a result, a driver’s response to the circumstances can be a significant factor while determining their degree of fault.
Right-of-Way
Right-of-way refers to the legal right of one vehicle or pedestrian to proceed before another. Many of these situations involve an intersection or a crosswalk.
Imagine a driver ran a red light and collided with another vehicle proceeding through the intersection. The motorist who ran the red light will likely carry most of the fault for the accident.
Under Florida Statutes, the first vehicle to stop at a four-way stop has the right to proceed when two or more arrive. Then, the driver on the left has to yield to the one on the right. An individual who breaks this rule and incites a multi-car collision will likely have the most liability of the parties involved.
Reasonable Care
Reasonable care refers to the standard of behavior that a prudent person would exhibit in a given situation.
Generally, drivers should exercise reasonable care while on the road. The expectations include obeying traffic laws, the speed limit, and other traffic rules. They should also avoid risky behaviors like driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
A driver that does not exercise reasonable care will have more liability than other parties. For example, if a driver was texting while driving, they may have breached their legal duties.
Some states may use a slight variation of this term in their statutes. Under New York Vehicle & Traffic Law, drivers must use due care. They should take the steps necessary to avoid hitting a pedestrian, cyclist, or animal on the roadways. Accordingly, someone who swerves to avoid a hazard and creates a multi-car accident may not have much liability.
Other Factors
There are still other ways that courts determine fault after a multi-car accident. However, a complete examination of the factors that can contribute to your fault in a multi-car accident would take volumes of text. The examples included above are common and noteworthy elements. But other considerations that can affect how much you receive from a lawsuit are:
- Speeding violations
- Duty of care for passengers
- Turning violations
- Duty of care for pedestrians
- Motor vehicle owner liability
- Allowing a minor to use an automobile
- Unexpected weather events like flash floods
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Car Accident Lawyer
Do you feel like you know how courts determine fault after a multi-car accident? As you have read in this article, a multi-car accident involves complex rules and regulations. Moreover, during a court battle, the arguments over the details can be fierce. Each factor will become subject to extraordinary scrutiny. As a result, the court may consider you more liable than you are without highly competent representation.
If you have been in a multi-car accident recently, you should speak to a lawyer about your liabilities. The compensation you receive for the damages will depend on having honest conversations with legal counsel. Request a consultation from an attorney in our network through our website or by calling (866) 345-6784 today.
About the Author
Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States.
With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations. Contact Aaron at [email protected] for article suggestions, collaborations, or inquiries.
