Imagine you’re driving down the road and a driver decides to make a left turn right in front of your path. You crash into him. Another car crashes into the back of you. A third car crashes into the back of that car. As you can imagine, you’re at the center of a very complicated crash.
When a multi-vehicle pileup happens, it’s important to determine fault and liability so injured victims can pursue damages from the person responsible. However, the complexity of these crashes can make it difficult — even impossible — to sort out who’s to blame.
Using an accident reconstruction expert to pinpoint liability
An auto accident reconstruction expert could be the key to showing how an accident happened and who was at fault. Accident reconstruction experts examine police reports, eyewitness accounts, the accident site, damage to cars and injuries suffered by the accident victims to reconstruct exactly what happened. Often this could involve a computer-animated depiction of the crash.
Are more than one party to blame?
Multiple parties could be to blame for one crash. For example, imagine that one vehicle caused the cascade of events that resulted in two cars crashing together, but a third vehicle made the accident worse because he or she was speeding and drunk.
In many cases, police and accident reconstruction experts will focus on the accounts of those involved in the crash and ask the question: “Did you experience one bump or two bumps?” If the first car in a three-car pileup felt two bumps, then it could be that the third car is also liable to that driver.
Don’t be satisfied with the police officer’s opinion of your crash
Since multi-car pileups can be particularly complicated to sort out what happened, you might want to consult with someone who has experience with reconstructing the sequence of car accidents and someone who understands California personal injury law. As you begin to understand how your crash, injuries and financial damages fit into California law, you’ll have a better idea of what’s possible in terms of pursuing damages related to your case.