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Multi-vehicle collisions, often called “pileups,” are often chaotic and overwhelming. These accidents involve multiple drivers and vehicles and varying levels of damage, making it difficult to identify who is responsible. If you’ve been involved in a multi-vehicle collision in Austin, determining fault is essential to recovering compensation for your injuries, vehicle damage, and other losses. Our experienced Austin car accident lawyers can play a crucial role in untangling the complexities of these accidents and proving fault.
Here, our Texas personal injury attorneys explain how to gather evidence, analyze the chain of events, and build a solid case to determine who was at fault in a multi-vehicle collision.
What Makes Texas Multi-Vehicle Collisions More Complex?
Multi-vehicle accidents are often more complicated than standard two-car collisions for several reasons.
They include:
- Multiple Parties Involved: More drivers, vehicles, and insurers are involved, which means more potential claims, defenses, and disputes about fault.
- Chain Reaction Events: Multi-vehicle collisions often involve a sequence of impacts, with one car crashing into another, triggering subsequent crashes. Determining who initiated the first collision is critical, as is understanding how each impact contributed to the overall accident.
- Multiple Sources of Evidence: Evidence must be collected from several sources, from police reports to eyewitness statements and dashcam footage if available. Coordinating and piecing together all this information requires legal experience, skills, and resources.
- Texas’s Modified Comparative Fault Rule: The modified comparative fault rule applies to car accidents in Texas. This means that multiple parties can be assigned a percentage of fault, and if you are found to be more than 50% responsible, you cannot recover compensation. Establishing the fault of others is critical to ensuring you receive fair compensation.
If you’ve been involved in a multi-vehicle collision in Texas, don’t hesitate to contact our skilled Austin car accident attorneys, who can guide you through the legal process and fight for your rights.
Steps Our Austin Car Accident Lawyers Take to Establish Fault in a Multi-Car Pile-up
Our Austin car accident attorneys will follow a systematic process to establish fault in a multi-vehicle collision.
Below are the key steps we take to build a strong case:
Investigate the Accident Scene
The first step in proving fault is thoroughly investigating the accident scene.
This involves:
- Photographs and Videos: We will review any available photos or videos of the scene, including images taken by the police, witnesses, or involved drivers. We may also visit the scene or partner with accident reconstruction experts to take additional photos showing the vehicles’ positioning, skid marks, or damage to surrounding structures.
- Dashcam Footage: Many drivers now use dashcams, and footage from these devices can be invaluable in determining how the accident occurred. Our lawyers will collect and analyze any dashcam videos available from the involved vehicles.
- Skid Marks and Vehicle Damage: Skid marks can help establish whether drivers attempted to brake or swerve to avoid a collision. Similarly, analyzing the point of impact on each vehicle can help reconstruct the sequence of events in the accident.
Collect Witness Statements
Witnesses who saw the accident happen from different vantage points can provide valuable testimony. Since multi-vehicle accidents can be complex, obtaining perspectives from people who saw the crash from various angles is critical to understanding how it started and progressed. Our skilled attorneys will interview witnesses and cross-check their accounts with the physical evidence.
Review the Police Report
The police report from the scene of the accident often contains vital information about the collision, such as:
- Statements from the drivers involved.
- A preliminary assessment of fault by the investigating officer.
- Weather and road conditions at the time of the crash.
While the police report is not the final word on fault, it provides an essential starting point for the investigation. Our attorneys will carefully review this report for valuable details and challenge any errors or discrepancies that could harm your case.
Analyze Traffic and Surveillance Cameras
Traffic or surveillance cameras from nearby businesses may have captured the accident in real time. Our experienced Austin car accident attorneys will work quickly to request and review this footage before it is overwritten or lost. Camera footage can provide an unbiased visual account of the accident and help establish which driver(s) caused the initial collision and how the chain reaction unfolded.
Examine Vehicle Damage and Black Box Data
In many modern vehicles, data is stored in an onboard event data recorder, commonly called the “black box.” This data includes the vehicle’s speed, braking, and steering seconds before the crash. If necessary, our lawyers can request access to this data to help prove whether a driver was speeding, driving recklessly, or failing to brake in time.
Additionally, examining the damage to each vehicle can provide clues about how the collision occurred. For example, rear-end collisions often suggest that the driver in the back was following too closely or wasn’t paying attention.
Navigate Comparative Fault in Texas Multi-Vehicle Collisions
Since Texas follows the modified comparative fault rule, an essential part of proving fault is ensuring you are assigned as little responsibility as possible. If the other drivers claim you were partially responsible, our lawyers will gather evidence to counter these allegations and demonstrate that the primary fault lies with another driver or driver.
Negotiate with Insurance Companies After a Multi-Vehicle Crash in Texas
Insurance companies are often involved in multi-vehicle collisions, and each insurer may try to shift blame to minimize their payouts. Our experienced attorneys will handle negotiations with these companies, ensuring they do not take advantage of you and that you receive fair compensation for your injuries, property damage, and other losses.
Contact Our Skilled Texas Personal Injury Attorneys Today
If you or a loved one has been injured in a multi-vehicle accident in Texas, our team of experienced Austin car accident lawyers is here to help. Call our skilled Texas personal injury attorneys at (512) 883-0277 or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation. We pursue dedicated, driven results for our clients, and there is never a charge to talk to an attorney. We stand ready to help you.
