Who is at Fault in a Multi-Vehicle Collision in Alabama?

The more vehicles involved in a car accident in Alabama, the harder it is to determine which driver or drivers are at fault. Law enforcement, insurance companies, and the courts must carefully examine the circumstances of the crash to understand what happened and who is responsible. 

Determining fault is fundamental to the outcome of insurance claims and car accident lawsuits. Alabama has some of the harshest negligence laws in the nation, so identifying every potentially liable party in a multi-vehicle crash is essential to improve the chances of an accident victim receiving maximum compensation. Consulting an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible can help victims understand how to protect their rights after a crash.

Why Do You Need a Lawyer for a Multi-Vehicle Collision Claim?

Multi-vehicle accidents have complex liability issues and usually involve multiple insurance companies. Navigating the system is hardly an easy task, especially if you’re trying to recover from physical injuries, heal from emotional distress, and regain financial security.

While you focus on your health and well-being, a skilled car accident attorney from Gartlan Injury Law can protect your rights, handle the complexities of your case, and pursue the fairest compensation for your injuries and losses. A lawyer can handle all the technicalities of a car accident claim by:

• Obtaining and analyzing evidence
• Locating and interviewing witnesses
• Consulting experts for technical testimony
• Filing insurance claims
• Negotiating with insurers for a full and fair settlement
• Representing you in court if necessary

Who Determines Fault in a Multi-Car Accident in Alabama?

Establishing fault is essential for every collision. In a multi-car accident, one driver may be at fault, or several drivers could be to blame. Figuring out what happened is essential to understand how many parties can be held liable.

One starting point is the accident report, where a law enforcement officer details their perspective of what happened. Insurance companies will also conduct their own investigations, sometimes sending adjusters to evaluate the case in detail. A car accident attorney will also conduct an independent investigation, making their own conclusions after reviewing the crash information and gathering statements from witnesses and experts. If the case goes to trial, the court will hear the evidence and decide who’s at fault.

However, it’s crucial to note that initial reports don’t always tell the whole story. Insurance companies may dispute findings, and new evidence could emerge late in an investigation. This is another reason why you should find the right legal team to handle your case. Your lawyer can challenge inaccuracies, work with reconstruction experts to understand what happened, and navigate appeals processes on your behalf as necessary.

Common Causes of Multi-Vehicle Crashes

Every car accident has unique circumstances. However, it’s common for a multi-vehicle accident to have several contributing factors, such as:

• Distracted driving
• Tailgating
• Erratic lane changes
• Wet or icy roads
• Weather that impairs visibility
• Drunk driving
• Drowsy driving
• Mechanical failures
• Defective parts and vehicle systems

What Evidence Can Help Establish Fault?

Numerous forms of evidence can help establish fault after a multi-car accident, such as:

• Photographs and videos – This includes pictures of the accident scene, vehicle damage, and road conditions. It may also include CCTV, traffic camera, or dash-cam footage of the collision as it happened.
• Eyewitness statements – Witnesses can provide more context about the wreck, offering neutral, third-party observations of what occurred.
• Black box data – Not every vehicle has a crash data recorder, though most trucks and modern passenger cars do. Investigators can recover data from these recorders to better understand each vehicle’s speed, braking, and other activity when the accident happened.
• Medical records – These records provide clear documentation of your injuries and the medical treatment you needed after the accident.
• Phone records – If your lawyer believes the responsible driver was distracted by their smartphone, they may ask the court to subpoena the driver’s phone records.
• Expert testimony – Testimony from medical and accident reconstruction experts can fortify your case by synthesizing other evidence in a digestible, understandable way.

Your lawyer must consider whether evidence is admissible before they can use it in a personal injury suit. Police accident reports are generally inadmissible since the court considers them hearsay. The only exception is for portions of the report discussing the filing officer’s firsthand knowledge.

Can More Than One Driver Be at Fault?

It is very common for more than one driver to be responsible for a multi-vehicle crash. Every driver has a duty of care to others on the road, and when they negligently or deliberately take actions that contribute to an accident, they violate that duty.

In multi-car accident lawsuits, the court often decides fault in terms of percentages. For example, in a three-car pileup, a jury can rule that one driver is 66 percent at fault, the second is 34 percent at fault, and the third bears zero responsibility for the crash.

Alabama is one of just seven states in which an injured party can hold each at-fault party entirely responsible for the total amount of damages, regardless of that party’s degree of fault. This potentially opens the door to greater flexibility in pursuing compensation.

What Happens if I Am Partly to Blame for the Crash?

Alabama is one of only five pure contributory negligence states. If a court finds you were even one percent at fault for an accident, you cannot receive any compensation. This harsh standard underscores the importance of finding an attorney who will recover strong evidence to minimize the chances of fault being assigned to you.

What is the Last Clear Chance Doctrine?

Pure contributory negligence is the strictest standard of its kind in the U.S., but there is still a potential pathway to limit its effects through the last clear chance doctrine. Even if you were partially at fault for the accident, you may still be able to recover damages in court if you can prove these three things:

• You were in danger and couldn’t remove yourself from it.
• The at-fault party knew about the threat.
• They had the opportunity to avoid the danger.

In other words, you must prove that the responsible party had the last move leading up to the accident, and that they could have prevented the crash if they had made a better choice. A skilled attorney can determine whether this doctrine could help your car accident case.

Contact an Alabama Car Accident Attorney Today

If you or someone you love was injured in a multi-car collision, the legal team at Gartlan Injury Law is ready to help. We take pride in paying attention to the details and treating each client as a family member. Our small-town approach has given us top ratings from past clients and legal peers.

We are available 24/7 to answer your questions. Call or contact us today for a free consultation with an Alabama car accident lawyer.

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