Broward Injury Lawyer Blog
Multi-vehicle crashes can create a quagmire for injury lawyers, insurance companies and courts when it comes to issues of causation and fault. In some instances, the negligence of one driver is clear-cut. However, comparative fault by other motorists (as explained in F.S. 768.81) can affect who is responsible to pay for what and how much compensation victims can expect to receive.
According to a recent news article from the St. Pete Patch, a 24-year-old man was killed in a multi-vehicle car accident in Florida.Three others were inju20red in the incident, which involved a total of three vehicles.
Authorities report decedent was driving his Cadillac when he apparently drove his car into a high curb and lost control of his vehicle. He allegedly hit a Mercedes, and then he drove into the opposite side of the divided roadway and hit a Toyota that was heading in his direction, as he was on the wrong side of the road at this point. When officers arrived at the scene, they found driver seriously injured. First responders did what they could to stabilize his condition before rushing him to a level-one trauma center. Unfortunately, his injuries proved too severe, and he was soon pronounced dead at the hospital.
A passenger in one victim’s car and the drivers of the two other cars involved in the accident were also injured, but, fortunately, their injuries were not considered to be life-threatening. They were all treated on the scene and then taken to local hospitals for further treatment and evaluation.
As is the case with any fatal traffic accident, authorities began a full investigation and said they would release a report detailing the cause of the crash, if possible, once the investigation was complete. It should be noted that no charges have been filed at this time, and there have been no formal accusations of civil negligence in connection with this fatal car accident reported as of the time of this article.
As our Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers can explain, car accident cases involving multiple vehicles and multiple victims can be rather complicated, and there are several reasons for this. One issue that may arise involves and accident where one vehicle crashes into another and then that second vehicle collides with third vehicle. While there may be no question driver of vehicle one is liable for damage and injuries to second vehicle, is second vehicle liable for injuries to third vehicle?
In some cases, the first vehicle may be solely liable for all damages resulting from the multi-vehicle car accident. In other cases, the first vehicle may be liable for damages to both vehicles, but second vehicle is also at least partially liable for damages caused to third vehicle. This deals with a fairly complex problem of causation and may involve the issue of superseding vs intervening causation.
This can get even more complex if a person is injured in a Fort Lauderdale car accident and is injured in a second car crash while being taken to the hospital in the ambulance. While this may seem like an extreme example, these types of things do happen, and this can result in a lot of complex litigation involving causation and indemnification. The best thing you can do to maximize your chance of recovery in one of these more complex cases is to make sure to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer that has handled these cases multiple times.
Call Fort Lauderdale Injury Attorney Richard Ansara at (954) 761-4011. Serving Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.
Additional Resources:
1 Dead, 3 Injured In 3-Vehicle Crash, May 15, 2017, By Sherri Lonon, St. Pete Patch
More Blog Entries:
FHP Launches Program to Help Solve Hit-and-Run Crash Cases, April 3, 2017, Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Blog
