Sarasota Multi-Vehicle Accident Attorney
A multi-vehicle collision is a crash that involves two or more vehicles. 40 percent of fatal crashes are multi-vehicle collisions, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). As such, a two-car crash is not rare. However, three or more vehicles per collision does start to become less common. The more vehicles involved, the more serious the injuries may be, in some cases. Additionally, the more vehicles that are involved in a crash, the more complex your personal injury case becomes. If you were injured in a multi-vehicle collision, you must contact an experienced Sarasota multi-vehicle accident attorney for assistance. Here at Hale Law, our multi-vehicle collision attorneys are prepared to win your case in or out of the courtroom.
COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE
Florida observes a pure comparative negligence doctrine that determines liability in personal injury claims, under statute 768.81. If driver A runs a stop sign and hits driver B, causing $100,000 in damages, and driver B was following the rules of the road to a “T,” driver B is entitled to the full $100,000 in damages. However, if driver B was texting while driving and the court found them 20 percent liable for damages, and driver A 80 percent liable for running a stop sign, driver B is only entitled to 80 percent of the damages caused to them, or in this case $80,000. Each driver’s degree of negligence reduces their compensation by an equal amount. At 50 percent or more negligent, a driver cannot collect any personal injury compensation from the other.
COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE IN A THREE-CAR COLLISION
This becomes even more complicated when three or more vehicles are involved in a crash. Let us imagine that driver A is tailgating driver B. Driver C, who is coming from the opposite direction, is looking down at their phone and drifts into the oncoming lane of driver A and B. Driver C looks up and swerves over just in time to avoid a head-on collision because Driver B lays on the horn. But because driver B stepped on the brakes with full force, driver A rear-ends driver B and causes a crash. Who is to blame in this scenario? A court may assign driver A and C with 30 and 70 percent negligence respectively, (assuming driver C stops and is identified), which means that driver B, the only driver not negligent, will be compensated for their injuries by multiple parties. In your case, you could be held partially negligent, however, which will reduce your compensation. It is important to minimize this negligence by the largest possible amount, and to aggressively pursue compensation from all other relevant parties.
A SARASOTA ROLLOVER ATTORNEY CAN HELP
The only “good” aspect about being injured in a collision with two or more other negligent drivers is that there will be additional insurance companies to pursue for damages, potentially increasing the amount you can receive. To get started on your claim as soon as possible, call the Sarasota multi-vehicle collision attorneys at Hale Law at 1-800-800-1414 to schedule a free consultation.