If you or a loved one has recently been injured in a multi-vehicle accident, you may be wondering who might be held legally and financially responsible for your injuries.

How do you file an insurance claim? Will you need to file multiple claims or just one? If you are partially at-fault, can you still recover damages for your injuries and loss?

Having questions such as these is quite normal after multi-vehicle car accidents. Hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer will not only help you get your questions answered, but will significantly improve your chances of maximizing your recovery from all responsible parties.

How Liability is Handled in a Multi-Vehicle Accident

Multi-vehicle accidents are not uncommon and they frequently cause serious injuries. According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), there were 20,762 crashes in 2012 that involved at least three motor vehicles. As a result of these accidents, 78 people lost their lives and 12,886 others sustained serious injuries.

New York is a no-fault insurance state, so liability in a multi-vehicle accident is generally handled differently from a single-vehicle accident or an accident involving just two vehicles.

Regardless of who is at fault for causing the accident, most insurance claims will be filed with the driver’s own insurance company. In multi-vehicle accidents, or accidents involving serious injury or death, a personal injury lawsuit may be filed to recover additional damages not available under standard no-fault coverage.

Qualified car accident lawyers such as the attorneys at Ginarte Gonzalez & Winograd, LLP, frequently work with accident reconstruction experts who have the know-how and means necessary to uncover the true cause of a multi-vehicle accident. An expert can help determine whether driver error, mechanical failure, distraction, carelessness or some other factor contributed to the accident.

When an automobile accident causes a chain reaction that leads to a multi-vehicle accident, there are often a number of factors that played into the crash. In many cases, unless you have an accident reconstruction expert on your side, you may never find the true cause of the accident nor be able to hold each of those responsible for your injuries liable for their actions.

It’s also important to keep in mind that fault for the crash may be allotted to several different parties. You may be able to recover compensation even if you were partially to blame for the crash.

Damages You May Be Eligible to Receive

There may be many sources from which you can seek compensation following a multi-vehicle accident. Some potential sources include:

• Your own insurance policy, including no-fault insurance and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM).
• Insurance coverage on other vehicles involved in the crash.
• The manufacturer of a defective vehicle or automotive component, if that was a factor in the accident.
• The company that employed an at-fault driver if the driver was on the job at the time.
• A government agency or contractor responsible for a dangerous road, if that contributed to the accident.

Damages that may be sought could include medical expenses, lost wages, vehicle repairs, pain and suffering and more.

Because multi-car accidents are so complex – and because there is a deadline for filing a claim – it is important to discuss your case with a qualified car accident lawyer as soon as possible to begin an investigation of the crash.