South Carolina Multi-Car Accident Lawyers
Strong representation in complicated cases
Accidents involving more than two vehicles are incredibly complex. It can be extremely difficult to determine who really caused the accident. Claims for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering will likely involve multiple claimants and multiple defendants. Blame gets tossed around. When you add in the issues of comparative negligence and underinsurance or noninsurance, the bottom line is you need the experienced legal counsel from highly qualified attorneys.
The South Carolina multi-accident attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, have the skills to guide you through this complicated maze. We work to make sure clients who have been injured through the fault of others get full compensation. Our lawyers have more than 100 years of combined experience providing strong representation for personal injury victims. We have obtained millions in settlements and jury verdicts for our clients. Let us help you get justice for your injuries.
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Common multiple vehicle accident scenarios
There are many ways more than two automobiles can be involved in a crash. Here are some of the more common types involving mostly stationary cars:
- Rear car starts the chain reaction. In many multiple car accidents, a moving car will rear end the last car in a lane of stationary cars waiting for a traffic light to turn green. The last stationary car in the lane will then be forced into the car in front and so on until the first car in the line is struck in the rear. Often the moving car will be found liable for the damages to all other cars and all the occupants in the other cars. Still, liability can get complicated if some of the stationary cars were too close or a stationary car driver was distracted.
- Middle car starts the chain reaction. Sometimes a middle car can be the one to start the chain reaction causing all the cars in front of the middle car to suffer personal injury and property damage. Cars behind the middle car may then impact the middle car and other cars because they did not have a chance to get out of the way of the collision. Figuring out fault in this type of accident can be a nightmare.
- Front auto starts the chain reaction. If a lead driver brakes without warning, stops quickly due to some object in the road—or stops for some other reason—then a second car behind this lead driver can collide with the lead driver, a third driver can then collide with the second driver, and so on. Here, each driver will likely blame the other, and it will be up to the lawyers and insurance companies to work out a fair settlement or for a jury to figure out what really happened.
- A “phantom” driver starts the chain reaction. The last driver remaining at the scene of the accident may claim that a phantom driver struck his/her car in the rear and drove off. The last driver may then strike the cars in front just like the rear car scenario above. The difference is that the phantom driver is really the one at fault, so assigning lability can prove challenging. This type of case is always tough to prove, but it can happen. The first key will be to see if the last car had any damage in the rear of his car. Rear damage supports a phantom driver defense.
Multiple-vehicle accidents can also happen when all the cars are in motion. Assigning fault in this scenario often requires the use of traffic reconstruction experts.
How our firm works to determine fault
Our South Carolina multi-vehicle accident lawyers review many issues to help prove that someone else caused our client’s injuries. Some of the areas our lawyers examine in multi-vehicle crashes are:
- The statements from all the drivers, occupants, and witnesses
- The reports of experts who examine the layout of the roads, the damage to the vehicles, the speeds the cars were traveling, and other physical factors – and then figure out how the accident happened
- How many impacts each car felt, in front and in back
- Whether any vehicles moved backward after they were struck
Claimants in multiple car accidents often have to wait longer to get benefits because each driver will blame the other. The larger the number of the cars in an accident, the longer it can take to sort out what really happened. Our firm works to push your case to a fair and timely conclusion.
Experienced South Carolina attorneys for multi-car accidents
McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, are dedicated, driven, and committed to delivering results. Your injuries and the damage to your vehicle matter to us. If you suffered any harm or a loved one tragically died, let us help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Contact McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, today. Call 803-327-7800 and schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced South Carolina multi-vehicle accident attorney, or fill out our contact form from any device. We proudly serve people throughout the state from offices in Columbia, Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill, Charleston & Greenville, SC.