Over the holiday season, at least 46 cars were involved in a highway pileup, leaving four people dead and others with serious injuries. At least 15 commercial vehicles were involved in the accident. The crash occurred in Erie County, on the Ohio Turnpike. The road was closed for at least 12 hours as authorities cleared the turnpike, and white-out conditions persisted.
Who’s responsible for this kind of pileup, and what kind of compensation can victims recover?
Legal liability for multi-car accidents
In pileup accidents, questions of fault can be difficult to answer. There are many different causes of pileups, including:
- Accidents where the first car is waiting at a red light, and another vehicle hits them from behind, pushing the first car into the intersection
- Accidents from an unsafe lane change, where one or more cars are pushed into oncoming traffic
- Accidents where the first vehicle is pushed into another lane of traffic and stuck there
- Accidents where the first vehicle is moving through an intersection, and is hit by someone making an improper turn
Road conditions also play a part in this kind of accident. Drivers may be blinded by white-out conditions, as they were in the recent pileup on the Ohio Turnpike. They may be traveling too fast for the weather conditions, too close to the vehicles in front of them or simply not paying attention.
While it’s possible the first driver may have done something to cause the accident, there are many different circumstances possible. It’s up to investigators and accident reconstruction experts to piece together what happened and why.
Dangers of pileup accidents
Multiple car accidents and pileups are particularly dangerous, because there are often multiple collisions causing injuries. Drivers and passengers who get out of their vehicles are at risk of being hit, especially if low visibility is an issue.
If you’ve been involved in a pileup accident, it’s important to call a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Insurance companies will encourage you to agree to a lowball settlement offer, but your injuries may be worth more compensation than you realize. It’s especially important because multiple insurers are involved in a pileup accident, and determining fault is key.
Call the Law Offices of Tim Misny today to learn more about your legal options, and how you can get compensation for your injuries.
Call an Ohio car accident attorney today
The Law Offices of Tim Misny can help you with your pileup accident claim. If you or a loved one were injured due to someone else’s negligence or recklessness, I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call my office at (800) 556-4769 so that I can evaluate your case right away.