Everything You Need To Know About Multiple Vehicle Auto Accidents In New York

In 2014, according to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, there was a total of 299,452 motor vehicle accidents, with 20,548 of those accidents involving 3 or more vehicles. As a result of the 20,548 accidents, 94 were fatal, 12,544 resulted in personal injury and 7,910 resulted in property damage. While these numbers are staggering, there are some things you need to know if you are involved in a multiple vehicle auto accident.

Types of Multiple Vehicle Auto Accidents

The majority of multi-vehicle accidents are the result of a chain reaction. There are several different ways in which chain reactions can cause these types of accidents. However, the most common way is that your car is pushed from behind into the vehicle in front of you. You can also get hit by a car from behind, pushed into another lane and then colliding with another vehicle.

Causes of Multiple Vehicle Auto Accidents

Multi-vehicle accidents may happen at any time, but there are some factors that may increase the risks. One of the major causes of multiple vehicle auto accidents is poor weather conditions, such as ice, snow, rain and fog. Another cause is speeding, which slows down a driver's reaction time. Also, if a vehicle accident occurs, sometimes other drivers simply cannot avoid the accident. Other causes include tailgating and rubbernecking.

Determining Fault of Multiple Vehicle Auto Accidents

Because multi-vehicle accidents involve several cars, it may be hard to determine who exactly is at fault. Typically, accidents that involve just two vehicles are pretty easy to determine who was at fault. In these cases, the vehicle at the rear is normally the one at fault. However, with multiple vehicle accidents, things sometimes get a bit more complex. For example, if you are involved in a 6-vehicle car crash, suddenly you are going to have six different drivers all blaming each other for causing the accident. In the end, it could very well be that more than one person was at fault for the crash.

Multi-vehicle accidents are rather complex in nature. It is, for this reason, you will want to talk to a qualified and experienced attorney. You may be eligible for damages including medical expenses, vehicle repairs, lost wages and more and an attorney (like those at Reed Law Offices) can help you with this process. Also, there is a deadline for you to file your claim and again, an attorney can help you get the paperwork completed by the deadline.