Pursuing a Personal Injury Claim After a Baltimore Chain-Reaction Car Accident

Following a car crash, it can be difficult to determine who is at fault, particularly when several drivers and vehicles were involved in the accident. These types of multi-vehicle car accidents, also known as chain-reaction wrecks, are common in Baltimore. Any car accident can be dangerous or fatal, but when a series of events causes an accident that involves multiple cars or vehicles colliding, the damage will be even more serious. These “chain-reaction car accidents” as they are known as, happen more frequently than you may realize and may cause multiple injuries or fatalities. For other people on the road, these types of pile ups are simply inconvenient, as they often cause the road to be blocked for long periods of time, but chain-reaction car collisions can change the lives of the people involved forever.

The initial car crash is usually what causes chain-reactions – for example, one car rear-ends another, causing that car to crash into the one in front of it, or someone else on the road to swerve. Usually, the driver who caused the initial auto crash will be liable for all injuries and damage stemming from the accident; however, Baltimore law requires that drivers keep a safe following distance between them and the car in front of them, so if a car was too close to the car in front of it and was unable to stop in time, they may also be at fault for the accident.

If you have been injured in a chain-reaction car crash in Baltimore, you have the legal right to make a claim for compensation, but it can be difficult to understand who exactly carries the liability (who is “at fault”) in this situation and where to turn to seek financial damages. In this blog, we will discuss how to determine fault, but every injured chain-reaction car accident victim needs quality representation from experienced auto collision attorneys to ensure that they are compensated fairly by insurance companies. The Law Offices of Larry B. Litt has decades of experience with getting the maximum compensation for chain-reaction car accident claims. You can call our Baltimore office to schedule a free consultation and discuss your legal options.

Determining Fault in Chain-Reaction Crashes

Determining fault in a chain-reaction crash involves identifying the person or persons whose negligent behavior caused the car accident. Also referred to as reckless driving or careless driving, negligent behaviors that routinely cause chain-reaction collisions in Baltimore include:

• Driving on the wrong side of the street
• Driving at night with no lights on
• Driving in poor weather with no lights on
• Texting and driving
• Talking on the phone while driving
• Driving while distracted
• Driving while under the influence of drugs
• Driving while under the influence of alcohol
• Failing to wear a seatbelt
• Speeding
• Swerving in and out of traffic
• Failing to use turn signals
• Driving a car that has not been property inspected

While the above list of behaviors is considered negligent, they can be difficult to prove without the assistance of a knowledgeable personal injury attorney. Therefore, if you have been injured in a chain-reaction crash, contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.

What Should I Do After a Chain-Reaction Car Crash?

After a chain-reaction car crash in Maryland, you should do the following:

• Check for injuries. You should check if you, your passengers, and anyone else involved in the car collision are injured.
• Get to safety as soon as possible. If it is not extensive and your car is drivable, pull the vehicle over to the side of the road in a safe spot away from traffic. If the other driver can, they should move their vehicle to a safe spot as well. Anyone involved in the collision should move off to the side of the road as well.
• Call 911. This will bring the police out to the accident scene, and their accident investigation might be helpful for your personal injury, and property damage claim.
• Get medical treatment at the accident scene. A lot of people think they can tough it out after a chain-reaction car accident, or they may believe that their injuries are minor, but diagnostic tests will be able to determine if there are injuries. Getting checked out by a doctor will not only inform you on injuries, but it will help you figure out what can be done to treat them.
• Take pictures and videos of everything. Since you or someone else in the car likely has a cellphone available, use it to document injuries, property damage, and the accident scene. Do not be afraid to take pictures or videos. These are key pieces of evidence that will help the insurance companies and/or courts make their decision regarding liability and the extent of your injuries and damages.
• Get insurance information from the other driver. Write down their license tag/plate, make, color, and model of the car. Get their insurance company name and policy number. This is another situation where the cellphone’s camera can be put to good use. You can have digital records of this important information.
• Get information from witnesses. If there are witnesses, get their names, addresses, phone numbers and all other contact information. The insurance company or a Baltimore chain-reaction attorney will want to speak with someone who saw the car accident but was not involved in it directly.
• Do not admit fault. Do not get into any unnecessary conversations with anyone involved. Do not assume guilt or apologize to the other driver or their passengers.
• Call your insurance company. Tell your insurance company about the chain-reaction car crash. You should inform them where the car collision happened, who was involved, if anyone was hurt, if there was vehicle or property damage, and what preceded the actual auto collision. Then, you will need to provide the insurance company with all the information for the at fault vehicle, the driver, and any passengers if there were any.
• Call a personal injury chain-reaction car accident attorney. You should remember that most settlements offered by insurance companies do not cover the expenses that can result from a chain-reaction car wreck, such as long-term medical costs, and lost time from work or school. Your Baltimore chain-reaction car accident attorney is there to advocate for you and to get the best possible settlement, which you deserve.

What Are the Top Three Chain-Reaction Accident Claims That Lead to the Largest Payouts?

These are the top three types of chain-reaction car crashes that are the most serious and consequently lead to higher compensation for injured victims:

• Car rear-ends another car on a busy highway, or roadway and then gets rear-ended by the car behind it, causing a chain of rear-end collisions. (Multiply by five if pushed in oncoming or broadside traffic.)
• Two cars collide on a busy street in Maryland and one vehicle is propelled into the oncoming lane of traffic, causing motorists to swerve into each other to avoid the car crash
• A motorist changes lanes too quickly on a roadway, or highway, causing other motorists to stop short and swerve out of their lane of traffic and collide with other vehicles.

When a chain-reaction car crash happens, the first question to ask is how did it happen? If someone else was negligent and caused you harm and you are blameless, you have a claim. If the car accident is your fault because you were speeding or otherwise being careless, you cannot recover in Maryland due to what is known as contributory negligence.

Protect Your Legal Rights: Hire a Chain-Reaction Car Accident Attorney in Baltimore Today

If you or a loved on sustained serious or fatal injuries in a Baltimore chain-reaction car wreck, the personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Larry B. Litt will fight for the maximum compensation you deserve.

And remember, we work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay us nothing unless we win your case. You also do not need to pay any upfront fees to get started. We can begin working on your claim as soon as you reach out to us.

For your free case evaluation, give us a call today at 443-844-1528. We are available all day and night. We are here for you, let us help you.