A police vehicle and six cars collided on westbound I-264 near Cane Run Road in Louisville. It happened around 7 am, Friday, January 25. According to police on the scene, the two cars struck one another and the setting off a chain reaction that involved the others.
The incident is still under investigation, and it’s unclear just how the police cruiser was involved. There were several injuries but none life-threatening, and the officer wasn’t among the injured.
Multi-Vehicle Crashes
When several vehicles collide, the risk of injury rises and the drivers involved are at risk for secondary crashes. This creates a dangerous situation for all involved. First responders have to immediately make the scene safe from other vehicles slamming arriving on the scene and unable to slow down. At risk are the cars that have already collided and those who are stopped because of the initial accident.
Then they need to assess the situation to care for the one’s most in need of treatment. The scene is typically chaotic with debris and vehicles scattered over the roadway.
How is Fault Determined?
Police investigators will process the scene which is more difficult when there are multiple cars because there are multiple impacts with some cars colliding with more than one vehicle. Once done, the investigators deliver a report that gives their opinion on what happened, but it will typically not directly address who is at fault.
Thus finding fault can be complicated as in many cases, a car might be a victim for one impact and at-fault for another. This leaves the parties, their insurance companies and possibly the courts to figure out who bears financial responsibility.
Do I Need an Attorney?
It’s up to each injured person whether they get an attorney. However, in multi-car wrecks, there are typically several insurance companies covering the many vehicles, and each one is going to point the finger at the other where liability is concerned.
The law can be tricky too with fault spread around between several drivers. You need an attorney that understands multi-car and chain-reaction crashes, and has experience dealing with insurance companies. Don’t wait until they start treating you poorly before you contact an attorney. Some mistakes can’t be undone, so the sooner you have someone working for you, the better off you are. Call the Pearce Law Firm, P.C. at (215) 557-8686 or text at 215 880 6164. You can also contact us online by clicking here.