Oakland Personal Injury Attorney Blog
As a recent accident in Contra Costa County tragically demonstrated, chain reaction crashes are situations where minor problems can turn deadly in the blink of an eye. If you’ve been hurt – or have lost a loved one – due to one of these crashes, getting the compensation you need is of paramount importance, but proving your case can be particularly tricky. That’s why it is so important to be sure, when it comes time to litigate your chain reaction crash injury case, that you have the legal representation you need from a skilled Oakland car accident attorney.
California is home of three of the biggest chain reaction crashes ever. Two were in Southern California; one was near Fresno. In all three, weather conditions (foggy conditions and one dust storm) were key factors. However, in a lot of chain reaction crashes, including this recent one from Contra Costa County, the cause(s) for the accident relate to human judgments and errors rather than weather conditions.
The recent accident, which occurred near Hercules, was precipitated by a flat tire, CBS San Francisco reported. The driver of a Honda Accord stopped the vehicle in the furthest left travel lane of the freeway. The next driver in the left lane brought their Volkswagen to a stop behind the Accord. A second Honda Accord didn’t stop in time, though, and rear-ended the Volkswagen. The driver of a Honda Civic then rear-ended that second Honda Accord, the report indicated.
At this point, no one was hurt, so the drivers got out of their vehicles and stood in the median to exchange information. It was then that a Toyota, also traveling in the left lane, swerved to avoid the stopped cars. The Toyota swung into the median and struck several of the drivers who were standing there, killing two people, according to the news report.
Many different drivers may be liable in a chain reaction crash
As you can see from the facts reported about this Hercules crash, a lawsuit arising from a chain reaction crash can have a lot of “variables.” Did the driver of the first Honda Accord know that their tires were in an unsafe condition but continued to drive the car without engaging in proper maintenance? If so then, proof of that possibly could establish a degree of liability. The driver of the second Accord, by rear-ending the Volkswagen, may have been negligent in failing to stop in time and might potentially have liability. Furthermore, the driver of the Civic may be potentially liable if they similarly should have seen the stopped cars and stopped their vehicle in time but did not.
On top of these things, you also have the actions of the driver of the Toyota. Was the Toyota driver speeding? Distracted? Otherwise in a position where they should have been able to operate their car without swerving into the median? Proof of any or all of these things could help a plaintiff’s case.
Those are just some of the possibilities… it is possible there could be other sources of liability in addition to them.
As you can see, there are a lot of “moving parts” to a case like this, and that’s why you need the right legal team handling your injury lawsuit that arises from a chain reaction crash. Your skilled attorney can make sure that investigators are, if needed, on the scene swiftly to get the physical evidence you need to establish who’s liable to you. Your attorney can then assess that proof and determine who you should — and should not — sue in court.
There are so many boxes to check when it comes to a chain reaction crash case, and getting the compensation you need is so important, so don’t try to go it alone. Count on the Law Office of Stephen M. Fuerch to provide you with the effective legal representation you need. Attorney Fuerch is an experienced Oakland car accident attorney who is ready to put his extensive background in vehicle crash cases to work for you. To learn more, contact us through our website or call our office at (925) 463-2575 to schedule your confidential initial consultation today.