Florida multi-vehicle accidents account for 49% of crash fatalities. These accidents are devastating and often occur due to drivers failing to follow state laws and endangering others on the road.
Multi-car pileups may mean multiple plaintiffs and defendants if a case goes to trial. A trusted Florida car accident law firm like Florin|Roebig can ensure that your rights are protected and you get maximum compensation.
What Constitutes A Multi-Vehicle Car Accident?
Accidents in which three or more cars collide with each other are considered multi-vehicle accidents. While rear-end collisions are some of the more common types, any point of impact can create a multi-vehicle crash in the right conditions. These are often chain-reaction crashes, meaning that two cars colliding cause additional hits, especially in high-traffic areas or times.
Drivers may often be inattentive to what’s happening around them, answering text messages, checking their phones for calls, playing with the radio, etc. When they look up and see the vehicle in front of them stopped, they may not have adequate time to respond.
Motorists following too closely reduce their reaction time and rear-end the vehicles ahead. You can also leave plenty of room but get pushed into a multi-car crash by the motor vehicle following you.
Poor weather or conditions can reduce visibility for all drivers, leading to a pile-up. Unfortunately, drivers can do everything they’re supposed to and still wind up in a multi-car collision. Unsafe road conditions can cause crashes with multiple cars as well.
Florin|Roebig lawyer Chad K. Florin says, “The increased number of injury victims and insurance claims complicates multi-vehicle auto accidents. Pinpointing the negligent driver is rarely as easy with so many involved, and some common causes of these collisions can lead to several at-fault drivers.”
Determining Liability In Multi-Vehicle Accidents
There are several challenges in establishing fault in multi-vehicle accidents. In most car accident claims, you have to prove someone was negligent. There are fewer stories to sort out and less evidence to examine when there are two cars.
With three or more vehicles, the stories and evidence are multiplied by that much more. It’s common for accident victims to also be liable parties. You need someone who can prove your side of the story by presenting evidence and showing that you bear little to no responsibility for the incident, even to your own insurance company.
Florida drivers must carry personal injury protection (PIP) insurance coverage to register a vehicle. This insurance policy covers part of medical bills, lost income, and funeral costs regardless of liability because Florida is a no-fault state. It can help while law enforcement, insurance representatives, and attorneys sort liability.
The Role Of Florida’s Comparative Negligence Law
Shared liability is comparative negligence in Florida traffic laws, which falls into two applications. Pure comparative negligence is the first, and it’s in effect for any accidents before March 24, 2023. It allows injured parties to sue for any percentage of liability that’s not theirs. It also reduces any reward by each party’s fault percentage.
The second set of laws is modified comparative negligence with the 50% bar rule. Parties bearing less than 50% of the fault for an accident may file to recover damages for whatever percentage of fault isn’t theirs. However, parties found to be more than 50% at fault are barred from seeking compensation. This applies to accidents after March 24, 2023, when House Bill (HB) 837 was signed into Florida law.
How Multiple Parties Can Share Liability
Insurance company representatives and car accident attorneys usually handle fault challenges like determining liability in multi-car accidents. If a solution isn’t reached this way, then the claims become a lawsuit, and all parties present before a judge or jury to divide responsibility.
Complexities arise when multiple parties share liability. One example would be a car that suddenly stops, causing the vehicle following to rear-end them. Say your car is the third car in this line. When the car in front of you slams on its brakes and strikes the car in front of it, you are following too closely and hit the car in front of you. While you didn’t cause the initial stop or the first impact, you did cause the second and may be liable for that.
Common Injuries And Damages In Multi-Vehicle Accidents
Each accident bears unique circumstances and outcomes. However, certain types of car accident injuries commonly occur due to specific impact angles.
Types of injuries common in multi-vehicle collisions may include:
- Whiplash
- Head injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal injuries
- Broken bones
- Paralysis
- Loss of limb
- Contusions, abrasions, and lacerations
- Torn ligaments and tendons
Physical, Emotional, And Financial Impact On Victims
Accident victims, regardless of liability, can find that their lives or the lives of their loved ones have changed dramatically because of the accident. In cases that include wrongful death, a life is gone forever. Your physical, emotional, and financial challenges translate into economic and non-economic damages you claim against any liable parties.
Time off from work to recover from serious injuries can mean lost income, putting you behind on bills. Sometimes, injured parties cannot return to their previous job and may be placed on permanent disability due to an accident. When that accident is someone else’s fault, they should have to pay for your collision injuries and the changes they’ve caused in your life.
How Multi-Vehicle Accidents Can Lead To Catastrophic Damages
In a pileup crash, motor vehicles can be struck multiple times, leading to catastrophic damage to both the vehicle and the people inside. Each impact can cause further injury to the victims, resulting in severe damage to the head, neck, and back.
The Legal Process After A Multi-Vehicle Accident
Checking on anyone involved and contacting emergency responders when there’s been an accident is the most immediate need. Once all relevant emergency personnel are on the way, you can help those injured and try to move cars off the road as you can and as it’s safe.
Pictures and videos are two of the most impactful parts of gathering evidence you can have on your side in the car accident claim process. Do your best to get pictures with your phone or have someone take them and send them to you if you’re injured to the extent that you can’t do it.
You’ll also need a copy of the police report, medical records, and receipts from any payments associated with the wreck. Witness statements or at least their contact information can be helpful as well.
Florida has a 14-day law regarding medical care after an accident, meaning you have 14 days from your crash to see a doctor. If you don’t, regardless of your injury status at the time, you may forfeit the right to pursue damages later if you present with an injury caused by the accident. The goal is to prove your state of health in that time frame to use as a comparison for later symptom development.
Filing A Claim And Legal Timelines
Filing a claim should happen as soon as possible, but you should hold off on filing one immediately. Why? Your insurance company will want details of the accident, and you may have a valid claim against other parties but accidentally mess up your chances of seeking compensation from them because of how you phrase your description in your insurance claim.
If you have a case against the other parties in a multi-vehicle accident, contact a qualified car accident attorney before speaking to your insurance company. They can coordinate with your insurance provider and all other representatives, and they’ll ensure that any paperwork is filed on time with the courthouse.
Unfortunately, legal timelines vary, so specifying how long it takes to settle a car accident claim is challenging. However, speaking with an experienced law firm like Florin|Roebig can give you a much better idea of what the timeline looks like for your case. Most multi-vehicle car accidents can be settled outside of a courtroom, but even that process may take several weeks.
What To Expect During The Legal Process
You can expect a lot of phone calls, emails, paperwork, and interviews during the legal process. It’s tedious and often boring to define your evidence, present it to all parties, and then defend it against scrutiny. There’s always a chance that you’ll slip up, and it’ll be an expensive misspeak.
Hiring Florin|Roebig to handle all of the details for you means you get back your time and energy for recovering and focusing on your family. We’ll take care of all the phone calls, emails, and paperwork and coach you on the interviews so that you understand what to say and how to answer trick questions.
The Role Of A Florida Multi-Vehicle Car Accident Lawyer
Multi-vehicle cases are complex. It takes a professional to navigate multiple insurance companies and claims. A skilled car accident lawyer handles settlement negotiations with all responsible parties. They also take care of court representation when a case can’t be resolved outside of it.
Normal car accident cases can have several parts. That’s further compounded when your accident involves three or more vehicles. There may be insurance representatives and attorneys for every person. The intricacies of filing appropriate documentation at the correct times, plus keeping everyone straight, are best left to professionals.
While you can try to coordinate multiple insurance claims as you recover, you can easily miss deadlines and file incorrect forms. Hiring Florin|Roebig means you have legal experts on your side from filing the first form all the way to court representation if it goes to trial, giving you peace of mind on your claim.
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Why Choose Florin|Roebig For Your Multi-Vehicle Accident Case?
“Florin|Roebig’s experience in handling multi-vehicle accident cases and our proven track record of successful outcomes work for you when you work with us. We combine personalized client care with strategic legal support,” attorney Chad K. Florin states.
You want experienced accident lawyers on your case, and Florin|Roebig has accomplished 30 years and over $1 billion in winnings for our clients. We begin each new relationship with a free case evaluation when you contact us.
Types Of Compensation Available After A Multi-Vehicle Accident
The types of compensation awarded after a multi-vehicle accident depend largely on what damages you’ve claimed and what you’ve proven to the decision-makers in your case.
Medical Expenses, Lost Wages, And Property Damage
Medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage are all economic damages in a multi-vehicle crash claim. In layman’s terms, these are the items for which you have receipts. Sometimes, you may have letters from providers who have agreed to wait until your case is resolved to accept payment with the understanding that it will come out of your settlement.
Economic damages can include:
- Medical visits
- Prescription co-pays
- Medical procedures
- Time off from work
- Loss of earning potential
- Auto repairs
- Vehicle replacement
Pain And Suffering, Emotional Distress
Pain and suffering and emotional distress fall under non-economic damages. This area of claims is more complex because these factors don’t come with straightforward numbers. How do you put a price on someone’s quality of life being reduced significantly? It’s not an easy task.
Non-economic damages can include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium (filed by spouse)
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Punitive Damages In Cases Of Gross Negligence
In most car accident claims, there has to be proven negligence for a payout. Your legal representation has to show that the other party chose to break the law despite knowing better, thereby breaching their duty of care. Gross negligence enters the picture when responsible drivers’ behavior is so reckless that they disregard those around them.
Punitive damages have no financial equivalent on the plaintiff’s side. They’re not meant to cover out-of-pocket costs or what might have been. They’re intended to punish the at-fault driver for reckless endangerment of those around them and discourage similar future choices. Punitive damages are an uncommon type of accident compensation.
FAQs About Multi-Vehicle Accidents In Florida
What Should I Do If I’m Involved in a Multi-Vehicle Accident?
The answer to this is more detailed, but here’s a short list of the most important actions to take when you’re involved in a multi-vehicle accident:
- Check on everyone for injuries, and help anyone you can.
- Call 911.
- Take pictures/video of the accident scene.
- Get contact information for all drivers and witnesses.
- Seek medical care within 14 days.
- Contact a lawyer before you talk to your insurance company.
How Is Fault Determined in Multi-Vehicle Collisions?
Carefully. Determining fault when there are several parties with claims is challenging. Insurance companies and legal representatives try to agree on fault and liability based on all evidence presented. Having a car accident attorney on your side is invaluable in arguing your injury claim.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Partially At Fault?
Most of the time. The main exception is if your accident occurred after House Bill (HB) 837 was passed on March 24, 2023, and you’re assigned more than 50% responsibility. At that point, you’re ineligible to file for damages.
Florin|Roebig’s legal team has a proven track record of winning, and we’re happy to discuss your case and help you understand your legal rights to damages when you contact us.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim in Florida?
Two to four years for most cases. Four years if the accident occurred before March 24, 2023, and two years if it occurred after this date. Claims against government entities at all levels may have shorter statutes of limitations, while claims involving injured minors may have much longer timelines.
Injuries that present much later than the accident date must be proven to have been caused by the accident but then are subject to whichever statute of limitations applies to the accident date.
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Contact Florida Car Accident Attorneys At Florin|Roebig For A Free Consultation
Multi-vehicle car accidents can be traumatic, and recovery can be hard. Deciding on a qualified law firm should be easy. Florin|Roebig’s legal team is accessible 24/7 to answer your questions. Ready to get help with your multi-car crash?
- Chat with us online
- Submit our fillable form
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- Locate our nearest law office
Our free consultation is available to you, and we’re here to help. We can advise you on the best approach with a case review and explain your chances of winning a fair settlement. Reach out to us today for more information.
