Being in a car accident is a frightening ordeal as it is. Not only is your car damaged, but you might be seriously injured and in need of immediate medical attention. the situation is made even more harrowing when multiple vehicles are involved. If you were involved in such an accident, you might be thinking about filing a lawsuit against the driver responsible. the problem is it can be hard to determine who exactly is responsible for a multi-car accident in Maryland. Read on to learn more about determining who is at fault in a multiple car accident in Maryland from the experienced Maryland car accident lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras.
Who is At Fault for a Multiple Car Accident in Maryland
The answer to this question can be confusing and hard to figure out. When multiple vehicles are involved in a crash or collision, determining exactly who is at fault may be difficult. it is possible that one person could be responsible for the accident. it is also possible that several different people share the blame. Additionally, if multiple people are found to be at fault, they might share varying levels of fault. For example, one driver might be 30% responsible for the accident, while another driver is 20% responsible, and the last driver is 50% responsible.
Multiple car accidents often resemble chain reactions, with one car starting the chain. One way to examine fault is to determine who the driver was that began the chain reaction and then look at how the other drivers may have made the accident worse. For example, let’s say the first driver rear-ended you so hard that your car was pushed into an intersection during a red light. Obviously, that driver would bear the blame. However, suppose another car t-boned you in the intersection because they were speeding and therefore did not have time to slow down. In that case, they may also bear some responsibility because, had they not been speeding, they would have been able to stop in time to avoid the crash.
Multiple car accidents tend to be tricky because each driver may accuse all the other drivers of being at fault. You might think you were totally innocent, but another driver will try to place the blame on you. If you are found to be somewhat negligent or responsible, this might affect your ability to claim damages. Please speak with our Maryland car accident lawyer for more information.
How to Prove Fault After a Multi-Car Crash in Maryland
After your lawsuit is filed, the police report from the crash scene will be crucial to determining who was at fault. it is important to choose your words carefully when speaking to the police. Do not say anything that might suggest you were the one responsible for the crash. Be honest about what you experienced but avoid saying things like “I’m so sorry” or “I can’t believe I did that,” as they may be interpreted to mean guilt or responsibility on your part. the police will also speak to any other drivers involved. What they say to the police will be crucial to determining who was at fault.
Accident reconstruction experts can be called in to help determine fault too. These experts can take the information gathered by the police, such as details about the vehicles, rates of speed, and points of collision, and recreate the crash scene. They can be very helpful in figuring out how a crash happened and who is to blame.
Proving fault in a multi-car accident may be difficult. the crash site could be very complicated to analyze and might be cleaned up quickly for road safety reasons. the fault may be determined by interviewing other drivers and witnesses and figuring out if anyone violated any traffic laws while driving. If someone admits to speeding, that might be evidence of fault. the police report and any police investigation results will also be critical. There probably will not be a big moment of realization where we have discovered precisely who is at fault. it is more likely that all the drivers involved will deny they are at fault and argue against us in court.
Understanding Contributory Negligence in Maryland
Maryland is one of the few states left in the U.S. that applies a rule of pure contributory negligence. Under this rule, if a plaintiff in a negligence lawsuit is the least bit responsible for their own injuries, they are totally barred from recovering any damages whatsoever. This rule can lead to some rather harsh results in some cases, so most other states have abolished it in favor of a comparative negligence rule. Under comparative negligence, you are not barred from recovery if you are somewhat responsible for your injuries, but your damages will be reduced.
If you are not from Maryland, the pure contributory negligence rule may sound strange or downright unfair. To put things into perspective, if you are involved in a serious car accident because the other driver blew through a red light at a high rate of speed, but you failed to stop because you were looking at your phone, you would be barred from recovering any damages even though your actions only minimally contributed to the accident. it is essential to discuss the accident in great detail with an attorney before filing your lawsuit. If it appears you were contributorily negligent, even slightly, you might have a losing case on your hands.
This is especially problematic for crashes involving multiple vehicles because blame tends to be spread out over several people. it is not unusual for each driver to be at least a little bit responsible for some aspect of the accident. If this is the case for your accident, you might be barred from recovering any damages. it is crucial that we gather as much evidence as possible to argue against any implication that you may have been negligent.
Contact Our Maryland Car Accident Attorneys for a Confidential Consultation
If you or someone you know has been involved in a car accident involving multiple vehicles, please reach out to our experienced Maryland personal injury attorneys. We can help you determine who was at fault and file your lawsuit accordingly. Contact our legal team at Rice, Murtha & Psoras by calling (410) 694-7291. We can schedule you for a free legal consultation regarding your accident.