Virginia Multiple-Vehicle Accident Attorneys

Every year, thousands of motorists are involved in collisions Virginia roads. Some accidents result in little to no damage and no injuries, but many are more serious, especially when multiple vehicles collide. In 2019, 73 percent of vehicle collisions and 43 percent of accident-related deaths in the Old Dominion involved two or more vehicles.

Sometimes collisions between two cars create chain reactions, causing other cars to collide with the original wreck and create even more damage. These accidents are known as multiple-vehicle crashes or pile-ups, and their results can be particularly disastrous. In addition to vehicle damage, survivors of these collisions are often saddled with injuries, surprise bills, or worse.

If you’ve been involved in or lost a loved one to a multi-vehicle accident, there’s no need for you to navigate the resulting process alone. For more than 30 years, the team at CHASENBOSCOLO has provided compassion and legal support to Virginia accident victims and their loved ones. Call us today at (703) 538-1138 to find out how we can help.

Do I Need A Multi-Car Accident Lawyer?

When car crashes involve more than one vehicle, driver, or insurance provider, things get complicated quickly. In the aftermath of an accident that results in injuries and severe property damage, it is often crucial for victims to get the fair compensation they’re owed to pay their medical bills, recoup lost wages, pay for vehicle repairs or replacement, and other losses. When you hire an experienced car accident lawyer, you can rest easier knowing that you have a professional on your side who is committed to getting you the full compensation you deserve.

What Causes Multi-Vehicle Accidents?

 When multiple cars collide in the same accident, it is often the result of some sort of chain reaction. Drivers who behave erratically or get distracted can veer into others, creating a domino effect as those cars, in turn, strike even more cars around them. The causes of multi-vehicle collisions often involve:

• Intoxicated driving – Alcohol and some drugs alter the brain’s reaction time and impulse control, leading intoxicated drivers to behave unpredictably or aggressively. These drivers can and do cause devastating wrecks.
• Distracted driving – Drivers who get absorbed in phone messages, loud music, or external distractions like other accidents add risk to the road. These motorists might lose track of lane boundaries or forget to stop on time, affecting several vehicles in the surrounding area.
• Tailgating or rear-end collisions – Tailgating isn’t just annoying, it’s also dangerous. Drivers who follow other cars too closely don’t leave themselves enough room for abrupt halts. They may force several cars in front of them to plow into each other or stop too short for those behind them to brake in time.
• Speeding or lane weaving – Motorists who race past or weave through other cars create conditions that can lead to destructive domino effects. Clipping the corner or side of another vehicle in this way can push accidents into other lanes of traffic, increasing the likelihood of a pile-up.
• Crowded or unsafe roads – Vehicles that crash in crowded or unsafe areas, such as city highways or poorly-maintained roads, sometimes have nowhere to go except into other cars. The more cars there are in a given area, the more likely it is that accidents will occur. Missing traffic signs, construction areas, extreme weather, and road debris all add to this risk.
• Vehicle defects – Malfunctioning brakes, electrical systems, airbags, or other car components can result in loss of control or visibility. Drivers who are unable to see or stop safely may careen into others and trigger multiple collisions.

Who Is At Fault in Multi-Car Accidents?

The nature of accidents involving multiple cars and drivers means determining fault is complicated. Sometimes one driver is responsible for the collision of all other vehicles in the crash. Other times, more than one driver or all drivers involved in an accident may bear part of the blame. Adding multiple insurance providers to the mix creates even more tangles, as no individual provider wants to shoulder full responsibility.

When multiple cars collide, lawyers and other experts will need to carefully review each factor that contributed to the wreck in order to determine the primary cause or causes. The more complex a case is, the more factors there are to consider, and sometimes investigations may involve significant investments of both money and time. Attorneys working on a multi-car crash claim might even hire expert witnesses with specialized knowledge in areas like medicine, mechanical engineering, or accident reconstruction.

Even if your multi-vehicle collision only resulted in fender dents, dealing with the resulting damages, bills, and settlements may still be overwhelming. An experienced car accident attorney can make sure your rights and interests stay in focus, leaving you with greater peace of mind and better outcomes than you’d have fighting on your own.

What Types of Evidence Are Used in Multi-Car Accident Claims?

Since determining liability can be so tricky, uncovering reliable evidence is critical in accident claims involving multiple cars. Police officers, insurance investigators, and lawyers may use evidence taken from:

• Driver and eyewitness interviews – Each of the drivers and passengers involved in an accident, as well as any other eyewitnesses from the scene, are usually interviewed for their account of what happened.
• Police crash reports – Every accident that gets reported within the Commonwealth of Virginia is kept on file by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Crash reports typically include identifying information for those involved, property damage details, road conditions at the time of the accident, and any legal violations or citations.
• Photographs from the scene of the accident – Photo evidence can give investigators a better idea of how vehicles, injuries, property damage, or outside conditions looked at the time of an accident.
• Video footage from nearby traffic cameras – When accidents occur near public traffic or security cameras, the recorded video can show exactly what happened in the moments leading up to a collision.
• Weather and road conditions – Information from photos, videos, or even historical forecasts provides important context for understanding a crash. Extreme weather conditions and hazardous roads may both contribute to accident risk.
• Vehicle component conditions – Sometimes, defective cars or car parts are to blame for losses of control. Lawyers and other investigators may review the condition of each vehicle involved at the time of an accident to locate any defective components that might have had an impact.

Which Factors Delay Multi-Car Accident Settlements?

Because multiple-vehicle accident cases are frequently more complicated than single- or two-car collision cases, resolution can take much longer. Some common factors that we have seen delay settlements in these cases are:

• Investigations by law enforcement and prosecutors – Evaluating a multi-vehicle accident can take investigators a lot of time. Multiple cars, people, and contributing factors in the same accident means a lot of data to review.
• Multiple injured parties or damaged properties – If a multi-car wreck injures one or more people, or causes an especially large amount of damage, resolution may take longer. For example, if one or more witnesses are hospitalized after a crash, they may be unavailable to provide testimony for some time.
• More than one driver at fault – When two or more drivers are found liable for an accident, assigning fault is less straightforward. Deciding who bears responsibility and how much can cause additional delays.
• Competing claims from different parties – Drivers and passengers in different cars might see the same accident differently. In these cases, conflicting statements or claims muddle the reality of a situation and take time to untangle.
• Drivers with limited or no insurance – Though most drivers on the road carry auto insurance, some may have no policy or a policy that doesn’t cover certain accident types. When motorists who crash are unable to pay for damages, settlements may be more difficult to reach.

Why Choose CHASENBOSCOLO?

Every day at CHASENBOSCOLO, we prioritize the interests of the people we represent. Since opening our doors in 1986, we’ve fought for thousands of car accident victims in the Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. areas. In spite of our volume, we handle each and every case with precision and care. That’s part of the reason our firm has recovered more than $750 million for people just like you. We know that achieving results is the best way for us to take care of our clients, and we like to allow our successes to speak for themselves.

Contact a Virginia Car Accident Lawyer

Rebuilding your life after a car accident is challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone. Our free, no-obligation case evaluation can help you find your best path to recovery. The CHASENBOSCOLO team is available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have, and we’re eager for the opportunity to earn your trust. Call us at (703) 538-1138, fill out our contact form, or speak with us via live chat today.