Establishing who is responsible for a car accident can be complicated regardless of how many vehicles are involved. In a personal injury case, an individual could be entitled to compensation if he or she can prove that another person was negligent and caused the plaintiff’s injuries. It may be possible to determine that a party was negligent based on the facts of a case alone. For instance, if a vehicle hits another from behind, the person who caused the collision is typically at fault.
However, that may not be true if the initial impact caused that vehicle to collide with the one in front of it. In that scenario, the driver who caused the initial collision may be responsible for damages incurred by the occupants in the other two vehicles. There are several ways an individual can prove that another person was responsible for causing property damage or bodily injury in a car crash.
For example, witnesses may be willing to share what they saw before and during a wreck. A police report may also have information that could be used when filing an insurance claim or when filing a lawsuit. Physical evidence such as damage to a vehicle or debris caused by the wreck could also help a person establish what happened.
A driver, passenger or pedestrian who is hurt by a negligent driver might be entitled to compensation. Examples of negligent behavior include driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol or driving while distracted by a cellphone. An attorney may use physical, eyewitness or other evidence to show that negligence played a role in a crash occurring. Compensation may help to pay current and future medical bills related to the crash or pay to repair damaged property.