Getting hurt in a car accident can be totally devastating. Nobody should have to experience the trauma of sustaining debilitating or life-threatening injuries in a motor vehicle collision caused by another motorist’s negligence. Yet car crashes can get even worse when they lead to secondary collisions.
It is extremely important to do everything you can to avoid a secondary crash. Yet if a secondary car accident does happen, it may be possible to file a claim against more than one motorist.
What is a Secondary Car Accident?
A secondary collision is a car accident that occurs after—and as an indirect result of—an initial car accident, according to an article in the Association for the Advance of Automotive Medicine.
The most common scenario is one in which a crash occurs on a road, and the injury victims remain in or near their vehicles in the middle of the road. An oncoming driver does not realize a crash has occurred and cannot slow down in time. As a result, that oncoming car crashes into the accident site.
How Can I Avoid a Secondary Crash?
The best way to avoid a secondary car accident is to move out of the middle of the road after an initial collision. After some car accidents, injury victims have suffered injuries that are too severe for them to safely move to the side of the road. But if you are physically able to do so, it is extremely important to remove yourself from harm’s way.
After a car accident, you should get over to the side of the road as quickly as possible to avoid injuries from a collision involving another oncoming vehicle while you wait for help to arrive.
Liability in a Secondary Collision
Depending upon how the secondary crash occurs, the motorist who caused the initial crash that led you to be in harm’s way could be liable for any additional injuries you sustain in a secondary collision.
At the same time, if the driver who crashed into you in the secondary accident was also negligent—for example, if that driver did not slow down despite notice that a crash had occurred ahead—then that driver also may be liable.
In such a scenario, you may be able to file a lawsuit against both motorists. I can assess the specific facts of your case and help you to determine what your options might be for seeking financial compensation.
Call My Office for Help with Your Car Accident Claim
Nobody anticipates getting hurt in a serious car crash, not to mention a devastating secondary car accident. If you recently sustained injuries in a motor vehicle collision and another motorist is at fault for your injuries, I will do everything I can to help you achieve a fair settlement.
I know that motor vehicle crashes can be physically and financially devastating, and that you need financial compensation to pay for increasing medical bills and to make up for lost wages. I want to make sure you get the compensation you need and deserve. I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call my firm today at 877.944.4373 so that we can discuss your options.