St. Louis Multi-Vehicle Accident Lawyer

The aftermath of a car accident scene is often chaotic and distressing, especially when one or more parties suffer injuries; however, few crash scenes are as catastrophic and devastating as multi-vehicle accidents. These crashes are often called multi-car pileups or chain-reaction accidents, and occur when more than two vehicles are involved in a collision.

Determining who is at fault and liable for damages in a multi-vehicle pileup can be a challenging legal process, requiring careful navigation by an automobile accident attorney experienced in Missouri’s car accident law.

What Causes Multi-Vehicle Accidents In St. Louis?

According to Missouri crash statistics, about 58.4% of car accident fatalities involve only one vehicle. Multi-car pileup accidents occur less frequently, but often result in multiple injury victims and fatalities, depending on the speed at which collisions occur and whether a vehicle is struck multiple times in a chain reaction. Common causes of multi-vehicle accidents include the following:

• Commercial truck jackknife accidents, which block multiple lanes of moving traffic
• Collisions on multi-lane highways with fast-moving traffic
• Speeding
• Distracted driving
• Tailgating or following too closely
• Failing to reduce speed for slippery or icy road conditions
• Making unsafe lane changes
• Illegally passing
• Improperly merging into a lane of moving traffic
• Mechanical failures, such as brake failures due to inadequate maintenance or defective parts
• Commercial truck tire blowouts
• Impaired driving
• Aggressive driving
• Fatigued driving
• Commercial vehicle wide-turn accidents

Multi-vehicle accidents are most common during icy or snowy weather, when drivers fail to account for poor road conditions by adjusting for longer brake times and slowing their speed.

Determining Liability In a Multi-Vehicle Car Accident In St. Louis

Missouri is a fault-based accident state with a pure comparative negligence system. Under this system, all parties who cause or contribute to a car accident are liable for their respective percentages of damages. Determining each driver’s portion of liability in a multi-car crash quickly becomes challenging. Often, the insurance companies of the at-fault drivers point their fingers at others. It often takes an independent investigation by a car accident attorney hired by an injury victim to determine liability. Common liable parties in multi-vehicle accidents in St. Louis include:

• One or both drivers in an initial collision that triggered the pileup
• A commercial truck driver or the trucking company they work for
• A negligent road maintenance agency for leaving dangerous construction debris or failing to address a pothole or other unsafe road condition
• A negligent road planning agency for designing a dangerous section of roadway, such as an entrance ramp with obstructed views
• The manufacturer of defective brakes, tires, or other faulty auto parts.

An experienced St. Louis injury attorney pursues compensation from all available avenues by investigating all aspects of the multi-vehicle accident and determining the liable parties.

What are the Legal Standards of Liability In a St. Louis Car Accident Claim?

Proving liability requires substantial evidence of one or more parties’ fault for the crash. Unfortunately, insurance companies have an agenda to protect their company’s profits when they investigate a multi-vehicle accident, even if it means assigning an undue percentage of fault to an injury victim so they can reduce the payout on a claim by the injury victim’s supposed percentage of fault.

A car accident lawyer with experience in this type of complex claim conducts an independent investigation and documents evidence of the at-fault parties’ liability. The evidence must demonstrate the following:

• The at-fault party owed a legal duty of reasonable care to the injury victim and others on the road
• They breached their duty of care through negligence
• The breach of duty directly caused the accident and injury
• The injury victim suffered damages from the injury

When a defective vehicle part causes an accident, the claimant must show evidence that the part had a design defect, manufacturing error, or marketing mistake to prove the manufacturer’s strict liability.

Damages in multi-vehicle accident claims are often exorbitantly costly, including totaled vehicles and medical expenses for multiple injury victims.

How Can a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer Help Me After a Multi-Vehicle Accident?

Insurance companies use experienced investigators and have powerful attorneys on their side. An injury victim has the right to legal representation on their side, too. A St. Louis multi-vehicle accident lawyer prioritizes your best interests throughout the process by doing the following:

• Investigating all aspects of the multi-car accident by examining the police report, scrutinizing traffic camera videos, deposing eyewitnesses, and consulting with accident reconstruction specialists
• Carefully calculating the full value of the injury victim’s damages, including both economic costs and non-economic losses, such as pain, suffering, and disability
• Sending their findings to the appropriate insurance companies
• Negotiating with the at-fault parties’ insurers to obtain the largest possible settlements for available damages
• Taking the case to court if an insurance company fails to offer an ample settlement or wrongfully denies the claim

Only about four percent of car accident personal injury claims go to trial. When an injury victim has skilled, assertive legal representation, most cases end with one or more settlements in a multi-car accident claim.

Damages Available In Multi-Vehicle Car Accidents In St. Louis

Car accident damages are often far more than just property damage to a vehicle, especially when a crash involves multiple cars or an accident victim suffers blunt force trauma from multiple collisions. Common recoverable damages include:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Out-of-pocket costs
• Past and future income loss
• Diminished future earning ability
• Compensation for pain and suffering
• Catastrophic injury compensation for permanent harm, such as limb loss, organ loss, loss of one of the senses, or diminished quality of life

Wrongful death damages may be available to a close surviving family member after a car accident fatality in a multi-vehicle crash.

Call or Contact a St. Louis Multi-Vehicle Accident Lawyer From Miller & Hine

Taking on a highly complex legal process feels overwhelming after suffering the pain and trauma of a serious car accident, especially a catastrophic multi-vehicle crash. Still, you don’t have to leave your claim in the hands of an insurance adjuster who represents the insurance company’s best interests. An insurance company’s objective to protect the company’s profits directly conflicts with your goal to recover the full and fair compensation you deserve for your losses. You have the right to experienced legal representation. Contact Miller & Hine for a free case consultation so we can begin asserting your legal right to compensation for your damages.