Houston Chain Reaction Car Accident
Determining fault in a Houston chain reaction car accident can be more complex than in a typical two-car accident. In Texas, determining fault in a chain reaction car accident involves understanding several key legal principles, such as comparative responsibility and insurance rules. Texas follows a “modified comparative fault” rule, which means that if more than one party is found to share blame for an accident, the fault is apportioned among the parties involved.
Typical Houston Chain Reaction Car Accident
Every car accident is different. However, generally, a chain reaction car accident starts with one car hitting a car and then that car hits another car, and so on and so on. You can think of a set of dominoes as an analogy.
Who is at Fault in a Houston Chain Reaction Car Accident?
More than one person can be at fault for an auto accident. In chain reaction car accidents, the person who started the chain reaction can be at fault. The person who started the accident may have been distracted, speeding, intoxicated, texting, daydreaming, on the phone, or simply not paying attention.
However, a middle car in the chain can also be at fault. For example, other middle cars could have been following too closely behind another car. Also, other middle cars may have been stopped too closely behind another car.
For these reasons, it is important to start your investigation as soon as possible. Do not rely on the opposing insurance company to conduct an investigation for you.
How is Fault Allocated in Chain Reaction Car Accident?
Texas has a comparative fault system. This system allows the judge or jury to allocate fault amongst all parties on a percentage basis. For example, driver 1 may be 10% at fault and driver 2 may be 90% at fault. The percentages have to add to 100%.
For an injured person who files a claim, the recovered damages are reduced by the percentage of fault that is allocated to him or her. For example, if an injured person recovers $100, but a jury determines that the person is also 10% at fault, then the injured person’s recovery is reduced by 10% to $90.
Even more important, Texas law holds that if an injured person is more than 51% or more responsible for the accident, then there is zero recovery. This rule may sound harsh, but this is yet another reason to start your accident investigation as soon as possible.
Car Insurance Issues in Chain Reaction Car Accidents?
Texas requires that all vehicles be insured. Yet, Houston has many uninsured drivers. Also, many car owners have the minimum bodily injury limits of car liability insurance, which is currently $30,000 for one injured person and $60,000 for multiple injured people.
In chain reaction car accidents, it is important to evaluate all of the available insurance limits from all of the at-fault parties. In chain-reaction car accidents, more than one person may be injured. If you are injured in a chain-reaction car accident, then you should investigate these available insurance limits because the other injured people are also filing claims as well.
Sometimes, there may not be sufficient insurance limits to cover all of the damages. For example, a chain reaction car accident may have 10 injured people that file claims against an insurance policy has $60,000 in coverage. The $60,000 is simply not enough to cover all of the claims. These situations can get complicated quickly. You need experienced lawyers to handle these situations.
Do You Really Need a Houston Chain Reaction Car Accident Lawyer to Investigate Your Case?
In any accident, it is important to make sure that you first seek any necessary medical help. If the police arrive, they will survey the area, the intersection, the traffic lights, the traffic signs, and all traffic control devices. The police may also talk to any witnesses at the scene. Chain reaction car accidents involve detailed factual investigations and complex insurance policy evaluations.
The police usually do a thorough investigation. As soon as possible, you should contact Molina Law Firm to begin the investigation regarding the cause of the accident. To get a thorough understanding of how the accident happened, Molina Law Firm will obtain the police report, take witness statements, investigate the light sequence, and take scene photos.
What makes us different?
The Molina Law Firm has been representing auto accident victims for over 20 years, helping them navigate the sometimes complex legal fight against corporations and ultimately insurance companies. Remember that when you retain Attorney Rick Molina, you pay nothing upfront and we only collect a percentage of the compensation you receive only when we have won your case. Don’t go against the insurance carriers alone. Attorney Rick Molina will aggressively represent you and fight on your behalf. We have the knowledge, resources, and experience to get you all the compensation you deserve for your loss, pain and suffering.
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If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a car or truck accident, it is important that you get an experienced personal injury attorney to help you. Time is important. Contact us today!
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