Early one Monday afternoon in June 2024, a white Toyota ran a red light at the intersection of La Posta Road and Paseo del Pueblo Sur in Taos. It collided with the rear of one car and then when on to strike another car. The struck vehicles then collided with two other vehicles, amounting to a five-car pileup. Occupants of four of the vehicles suffered injuries serious enough to require medical treatment, but none of the injuries were life-threatening. News reports did not indicate whether the driver who caused the accident received criminal charges.
Multi-car accidents are common in certain situations, and while they do not usually cause catastrophic damage, even an accident that results in minor injuries and vehicle damage can cause you financial hardship for a long time; most people do not have a big enough financial cushion to cope with a car accident. If you have suffered injuries in a traffic accident that involved more than two cars, contact a Santa Fe motor vehicle accidents and car accidents lawyer.
What Causes Multi-Vehicle Pileups?
Multi-car pileups, defined as any collision that involves three or more cars, can happen anywhere that there are enough cars close to each other; some common sites of multi-vehicle collisions are downtown urban areas, major suburban roads, and interstate highways. The total cost of a multi-car accident can easily exceed one of a collision involving only two vehicles; the cost of fixing three cars and examining three drivers only to determine that they do not have any injuries severe enough to require surgery or hospitalization is higher than you think.
The good news is that multi-car pileups are less likely to result in death or catastrophic injury than accidents involving only two cars. This is because excessive speed is a major risk factor for traffic fatalities. In heavy traffic, the cars have less time to gain speed before they collide. Furthermore, the angle of collision is also a contributing factor to the severity of injuries. In a multi-car pileup, at least some of the vehicles take the impact on the rear bumper, where there is enough vehicle structure to protect the occupants from the worst of the impact.
Recovering Compensation for Your Financial Losses if Yours Was Only One of Many Vehicles Involved in the Accident
Determining fault for a car accident requires police and insurance claims adjusters to evaluate each accident on an individual basis. A general trend, though, is that when three or more cars are involved in an accident, no more than two of them are at fault. The lion’s share of the fault usually goes to the driver that rear-ended the car in front of him or her, or else it goes to the car that stopped suddenly without good reason, causing the car behind it to strike it from the rear.
Contact Slate Stern About Car Accident Lawsuits
Slate Stern is a personal injury lawyer who represents plaintiffs injured in motor vehicle accidents. Contact Slate Stern in Santa Fe, New Mexico, or call (505)814-1517 to discuss your case.
Sources
Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash