How is liability determined in a chain car accident?

Answer:

Chain car accidents present insurance companies and drivers with unique challenges. All states require that a driver maintain control of their vehicle at all times. In general, this means that the only "true" victim of a multiple car accident is the car that is first in line. Every other driver has not maintained control over their vehicle meaning they have struck the vehicle in front of them. Most states have laws on the books that state clearly that in any rear-end collision, the driver who was struck was the victim.

No easy formula

There is no easy formula for determining how liable each driver is in the event of a multiple car accident. In all cases, there may be mitigating circumstances that prevented any driver involved from stopping their vehicle safely. In many cases with the exception of the driver of the last vehicle, all of the drivers involved may be considered victims of the accident. This is regardless of the fact that all except the first driver may also be found to be at fault.

Auto accident reporting

In the event of a multiple car accident, reporting and accurate recording of the circumstances and events may become critical to assigning liability. Those who are involved in a chain car accident should always do the following immediately:

Obtain names of any witnesses - this information will often be collected by police but having individual records is a good idea;
Write down exact recollections - all parties involved in the accident should carefully make notes about anything (no matter how minor it may seem) that they remember from the accident;
Contact insurance company - your own insurance company should be contacted immediately with as much information as possible. The insurance company may help by assigning an attorney (or adjuster) to help with liability claims.

Getting help with chain accidents

In addition to contacting your insurance company, it is worth contacting a personal injury attorney who specializes in automobile accidents. Any driver who is involved in a chain accident may be entitled to compensation for injuries that were sustained as well as automobile damage.