Was Your Pileup Accident Caused By A Drowsy Driver?

Pileup accidents involving multiple vehicles can be complicated to make sense of. Each party will want to determine who is at fault for the accident. Typically, one party is at fault because they made a grave mistake, such as driving while tired, creating a chain reaction that damaged several other vehicles. If you are still determining which party you should consider at fault, an auto accident attorney can help.

Understanding a Pileup Accident

A pileup is an accident that involves multiple vehicles traveling at high speed. One driver causes an accident, and several other drivers then collide. The type of injuries resulting from these accidents is often more severe because of the multiple collisions.

How Liability Is Determined

Liability is usually determined in these accidents by examining photographs and footage at the accident scene to determine who started the accident and who should be considered at fault. You might identify through surveillance footage that one of the motorists was driving erratically.

How to Determine if a Drowsy Driver Caused the Accident

If the accident happened late at night, it's more likely that a drowsy driver caused it. You might discover several warning signs, such as a lack of skid marks, a driver on prescription medications, or a driver working long hours based on their work records.

If you can show that a particular driver was drowsy while operating a vehicle, and there are other signs that the driver was negligent, you will have an easier time proving that this driver was at fault for the pileup.

The Role of an Auto Accident Attorney

An auto accident attorney can help you resolve your case in several ways. For one, they can identify the party at fault for the accident by conducting a thorough investigation. An auto accident attorney typically works closely with various experts to determine why the accident occurred and then gathers evidence to support the legal claims required so that you will be entitled to total compensation.

An auto accident attorney can also explain how the law applies to your case so that they can build a solid case for why a specific party should be responsible for the accident.

How to Increase Your Settlement Amount

Because a pileup accident can involve so many people, you will also have multiple parties with which to seek compensation. When there are more parties with which you can collect damages, you'll be better able to pay for all your medical expenses and replace lost wages.

For each party involved, the question will be whether they could have done something to prevent the accident. Some motorists involved in the crash might be blameless. Still, other drivers might have behaved recklessly and could be found partially at fault.

Contact a firm such as Thomas Law Firm to learn more.