Car accidents are the leading cause of personal injuries in the United States. Suffering from a wreck can leave you with expensive medical bills, and you may even have permanent disabilities that keep you from working your pre-injury job.
If you’re injured in a car accident caused by another person, you need to file a personal injury claim. Otherwise, you may have to pay out of pocket for your medical bills and other expenses related to your injuries.
Recently, the attorneys at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers helped a client receive a $100,000 car accident settlement from a multi-car rear-end collision. This case illustrates the importance of hiring a personal injury attorney. Before contacting Sally Morin, the client was feeling overwhelmed with the case and was worried about having to pay for his own expensive medical bills.
Fortunately, our car accident lawyers were able to get him the money he deserved for his medical bills and other expenses, and he was able to retain $56,000.
If you’re injured in a multi-car rear-end collision, you need to know who could be at fault and why you need a personal injury lawyer at your side.
Who Is At Fault for a Multi-Car Rear-End Collision?
Statistically, rear-end collisions are most frequently caused by the rear-most driver in the wreck, but that’s not always the case. Different factors may contribute to the crash, and the rear-most driver may not be wholly liable. A few contributing causes of rear-end collisions include:
- Reckless driving
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence
- Speeding
- Tailgating
When filing a personal injury claim after a car accident, you must prove that the collision happened due to another person’s negligence. The rear-most driver may have caused the multi-car chain-reaction wreck, or it could be another driver’s fault.
Some examples of when a rear driver wouldn’t be wholly liable include:
- A truck pushed a car from their lane into stopped traffic
- A drunk or distracted driver backed into traffic
- A driver caused the chain reaction and then fled the scene
- Debris forced a car to swerve into stopped traffic
Additional factors that may contribute to a chain-reaction wreck include:
- Crash location
- Road conditions
- Weather conditions
California’s Pure Comparative Negligence System
California is a pure comparative negligence state, and that means that even if a driver is partially at fault, they can still recover damages from another driver. In a comparative negligence system, two or more drivers can be found partially responsible for a wreck, impacting the amount they can receive in compensation. For example, if a driver pulls out in front of you and you were speeding at the time, you might both be found partially liable. Road authorities may assign the other driver 70% of the blame while you receive 30%.
Even though you’re partially liable, you can still recover damages, but your percentage of responsibility in the accident reduces the amount you can recover. In this example, the amount you can receive would be 30% less because you’re 30% at fault.
In a pure comparative negligence system, you can be 99% liable for an accident and still recover compensation.
Injuries After a Rear-End Collision
Those who suffer from rear-end collisions may experience severe or permanently disabling injuries. Some common injuries include:
- Soft tissue injuries
- Broken bones
- Nerve damage
- Chronic pain
- Neck injuries, including whiplash and chronic neck pain
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Wrist injuries
- Knee injuries
- Reduced range of motion
- Torn muscles and ligaments
In our $100,000 car accident settlement case, our client suffered from a fractured femoral head, meaning he had a broken hip. Because our client also had a pre-existing condition, he had to undergo over two months of inpatient rehabilitation. His treatment and inpatient care were incredibly expensive, and he may have had to pay out of pocket if he hadn’t enlisted the expertise of our car accident personal injury attorneys.
Why You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer
People frequently face complicated financial issues when suffering from injuries. Our client had overwhelming medical bills and he also receives Medi-Cal and Medicare. He needed to make sure that his state-funded benefits were protected as he pursued his personal injury claim.
The personal injury attorneys at Sally Morin were able to prove his claim, and we were able to negotiate a favorable outcome on his behalf. We were able to reduce the amount he had to pay in liens while increasing his settlement. Ultimately, he was able to pay off his medical bills and liens, and he still had a remaining $56,000 after his medical and legal bills. We were also able to protect his state-funded benefits.
If you suffer from an injury in a car accident, you need legal experts at your side to fight on your behalf. You shouldn’t have to worry about fighting your legal battle alone while recovering. Our client was incredibly overwhelmed by his injuries and the complex legal process. Fortunately, he hired our firm, and we maximized the amount he received in the settlement.
If you’re injured in California, you need a California personal injury attorney to help you prove your claim and negotiate on your behalf. For experienced legal support you can count on, call Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers at 877-380-8852.
