Injured in a Pileup Accident: How Do I Prove Who Caused my Injuries?

One of the most devastating and catastrophic types of motor vehicle accidents is a pileup accident.  This is particularly true on highways, interstates, freeways, and other fact moving roadways.  The danger and devastation is magnified when a large commercial truck is involved in a pileup accident.  While the damages are usually very high, liability can be a nightmare to determine because there could be many liability parties.  If you have been injured in a pileup, call our Los Angeles pileup accident lawyer to learn what your rights to compensation may be under California law.

Generally, assessing liability in a pileup is taking on a car-by-car basis.   The liability of the front car, or the car that braked first, is most often not held liable for a pileup accident. Like all things, however, there are always exceptions. In the case of the front car, it will need to be proven that the front car contributed to the accident by braking abruptly or negligently. But in most cases, the cars behind the front car will bear the brunt of the liability for the accident.

Middle cars will be liable if they fail to stop in time or are following too closely.  The middle cars will typically be held responsible for any damage to the car that was in front of them. This is regardless of whether that impact was caused by the car behind them. 

The end car will also be held responsible for the accident unless it can be proven that the cars ahead suddenly braked.  End cars may also be responsible for following too closely or failing to see the accident ahead and braking in time.

This is extremely simplistic and we know that pileups are usually not simple accidents. This is when you will need supporting evidence in order to prove comparative liability if you were hit due to other factors. In some cases, you may need the services of an accident recreation engineer to understand the dynamics of the pileup accident. If you have been injured in a pileup accident, your best course of action is to consult with an experienced Los Angeles pileup accident lawyer to enlist the resources you need and to understand your legal rights. For more information and a FREE case review, contact us today at (888) 588-1777.  We are ready and willing to help.