If you have been injured in a car accident in which one or more other drivers were at fault, then you may wonder what to do next. It is often the case that when there are more than two cars involved, the injured party wrongly believes that there is no way to prove who was at fault, or, if more than one party was at fault, there is no way to hold them all accountable.
The truth is that by working with an experienced personal injury attorney, you can work to hold the at-fault parties responsible. Keep reading to learn more about how multi-car accident fault is determined. Then contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 for your free legal consultation.
Understanding the Duty of Care of Each Driver
Anytime a person gets behind the wheel of a vehicle and drives, they are taking on a duty of care to all other drivers on the road. If a driver does not drive reasonably, or acts negligently, then they have violated this duty of care. This can include things like speeding, not maintaining vehicles, or cutting of other drivers.
When a driver has violated a duty of care and there is an accident, then that driver can be held responsible for the accident. When there are several at fault drivers involved, then pure comparative negligence comes into play.
Pure Comparative Negligence and How it is Determined
The first step is determining which drivers were at fault. Then their percentage of fault must be determined. California is a pure comparative negligence state which means that the amount of fault a person has determines who much compensation they owe to the injured party.
For example, consider an accident involving three cars. One driver ran a red light, another driver was texting and driving, and third driver was following all traffic laws. The third driver would be able to sue for their injuries and damages. The amount that each of the two at-fault drivers would owe would be equal to their percentage of fault.
If the judge decided that the driver who ran the red light was 80% at fault and the texting driver was 20% at fault, and the third driver suffered injuries and damagers of $100,000, how much would each driver owe? The first driver that was 80% at fault would owe $80,000 and the second driver who was found to be 20% at fault would owe $20,000.
You Need an Attorney to Fight for Your Rights
Multi-car accidents can be complicated. In a two-car accident, all you need to do is prove that one person was at fault. However, in a multi-car accident you have to prove fault and then prove their percentage of fault. The good news is that at The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker we can help. Call our offices now at 800-333-0000 to request a free legal consultation.
