Car accidents involving more than two vehicles can create a confusing and chaotic scene. Many vehicles that are involved in a North Carolina pile-up will sustain more than one collision, putting their occupants at increased risk for serious injury. Proving liability can also be a difficult task after a North Carolina multi-vehicle accident due to the number of cars and individual collisions involved.
In many cases, more than one driver may be liable for the personal injuries sustained in such a crash. If you were hurt in a pile-up, it is important to contact an experienced North Carolina personal injury lawyer after the accident so that you can give yourself the best chance of receiving full compensation.
How Do Pile-Ups Happen?
The causes of pile-ups can be complex and varied. Too often, more than one driver has made a careless mistake that contributed to the severity of the wreck. In such cases, it may be possible to recover compensation from each and every responsible party.
Dangerous, multi-vehicle accidents often happen due to:
- Inclement weather: Pile-ups most commonly happen during snow or ice storms, heavy rain, thick fog, and other adverse weather conditions that impair visibility or make the roads slick. Drivers should both respect their own limits when it comes to driving through severe weather and adjust their driving behaviors to account for lack of visibility or slippery streets.
- Drunk driving: Intoxicated drivers have a way of causing rather unusual accidents due to their unpredictable nature. Other vehicles may even crash trying to dodge such a driver. Drunk drivers are also more likely than most to be responsible for a head-on collision after driving the wrong way or skipping a median, which tends to affect more than one other car.
- Excessive speed: In many cases, pile-ups happen because the driver who causes the initial collision forces that vehicle into other vehicles. This is more likely to happen when the first at-fault driver is operating at an excessive speed for the type of road or conditions. A speeding driver who rear-ends another car is more likely to push that car into the car ahead of it, possibly causing a chain reaction that can send the front vehicle hurtling into the intersection in severe cases.
- Running a red light: Intersections are common locations for multi-vehicle accidents. Especially at larger, busier intersections, there are often multiple vehicles passing through a limited space at the same time. When a driver runs a red light, they run the risk of causing a serious multi-car collision.
- Large vehicles: 18-wheelers, buses, and other large commercial vehicles present a particular risk simply due to their size. An out-of-control semi-truck has the potential to strike a number of other vehicles before coming to a stop. They can also push smaller vehicles into one another.
The Importance of Acting Quickly
If you were injured in a multi-vehicle pile-up, you will want to contact an attorney as soon as possible. Certain evidence, like vehicle damage, needs to be documented promptly before it is lost. Your attorney can help you gather any and all information that may be useful in building your case, including statements from witnesses, vehicle event data recorders, and footage from traffic cameras and security cameras. From there, we will work hard to get you full compensation for your injuries.
Call a North Carolina Multi-Vehicle Car Accident Lawyer
To learn more about recovering compensation after a multi-vehicle pile-up on a North Carolina roadway, contact the experienced North Carolina personal injury lawyers at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp. We will advocate tirelessly on your behalf, just as we did in securing a $200,000 settlement for our client who was the victim of a drunk driver in Currituck, North Carolina. Call (833) 997-1774 for a free consultation today.
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