How to Handle a Multi-Vehicle Collision in Oklahoma City

Multi-vehicle accidents generally involve chain reactions or a series of impacts due to low visibility, poor weather, and other emergencies. At Cunningham & Mears, we understand how to handle these cases, which normally include multiple accident victims/plaintiffs and multiple defendants. Here’s how we handle the challenges when three or more vehicles collide in Oklahoma City.

What are the different types of multi-vehicle crashes?

The most common scenario for a multi-vehicle accident is a chain reaction in which one driver’s negligence starts a series of crashes. A typical example is when a driver rear-ends the last car in line at a traffic light, causing the other cars to collide with the cars in front of them.

Another common scenario is an emergency that forces drivers to react quickly. For instance, a cargo spill, a deer suddenly running across the road, or a drunk driver who is driving erratically may lead to other drivers reacting and potentially causing multiple collisions.

Multi-vehicle accidents happen for many reasons, but some common causes include speeding, driver distraction, driver intoxication, driver fatigue, inclement weather, and traffic conditions such as detours and lane merges. For example, if a rainstorm develops, a driver may skid into another lane of travel, causing multiple collisions.

Our Oklahoma City personal injury lawyers work with the police our investigators, and through the discovery process to determine how the multi-vehicle crash happened. We may also work with traffic reconstruction experts who can explain step-by-step how accidents begin, which cars collide with other cars or objects, what happens to the victims as the cars collide, and where all the cars and people end up. Traffic reconstruction experts often use computer graphics to explain to a jury how multi-vehicle crashes occur.

What are the unique challenges in multi-vehicle accident cases?

Some of the unique challenges of a multi-vehicle accident in Oklahoma City are the following:

Liability

In addition to the drivers, there may be other defendants, such as the drivers’ employers, the owners of the vehicle (if different from the drivers), and other people and businesses. Many times, each defendant will blame the other. Our skilled Oklahoma City car accident lawyers have the experience and resources to help assess the comparative fault of each defendant.

Insurance/Payment

The challenging issue that our multi-vehicle injury lawyers understand how to handle is who pays your damages. Let’s look at three examples:

• Example one. A car rear-ends the last vehicle in line, causing a chain reaction. In this case, the insurance company for the responsible driver may pay everyone’s damages – provided that the responsible driver has enough insurance. If the responsible driver does not have enough insurance, then the insurance company will likely pay each accident victim a percentage. The accident victims can then seek to obtain the balance of their damages from their own uninsured/underinsured insurance carrier.
• Example two. Car one speeds through an intersection while car two makes an illegal left-hand turn, causing you, the driver of car three, to suffer a broken arm and other injuries. In this scenario, a determination is made as to the respect fault of each driver based on Oklahoma’s comparative negligence law. If your damage claim is worth $100,000, the driver who speeds is 60% at fault, and the driver who makes the illegal turn is 40% at fault – then you should receive $60,000 from the speeding driver and $40,000 from the driver who turns illegally.
• Example three. Let’s use the scenario from example two – except in this example, you are the driver of car two, and the driver in car three has a claim worth $20,000. Here’s where things get complicated. In this scenario, you only receive $60,000 from the speeding car driver because you were 40% at fault. The driver of car three receives $20,000 from the driver of car one and $8,000 from your insurance company based on the comparative fault of you and the driver of car one.

We can help you understand these challenges when we discuss your case. Each case is unique.

The Oklahoma City car accident lawyers at Cunningham & Mears have fought for personal injury victims since 1996. We’ve obtained more than $250 million on behalf of our clients. We understand your stresses and anxieties. We can fight for all the compensation you deserve, including all your current and future medical bills, income losses, pain and suffering, and property damage. Please call us or fill out our contact form to schedule a free case evaluation. We can answer all your questions and guide you through the claims process. Our lawyers handle multi-vehicle accident claims on a contingency fee basis.