A multi-car accident, or chain-reaction crash, is an accident that usually involves three or more vehicles. These cars are involved in an accident usually because of a first collision – but finding who is at fault for that first collision can be difficult. And in many cases, there may even be more than one person to blame for the accident and your injuries. In these kinds of situations, working with experienced Colorado multi-car accident attorneys can dramatically improve your outcome.
Multi-car accidents typically occur at traffic stops, on narrow roads, or during inclement weather. Typically, the driver who is found to be responsible for the first accident is also likely to be held responsible for the second accident. But each driver may share in some of the fault and in some cases a multi-car accident is merely two accidents that occurred simultaneously. The key is to investigate the accident closely and determine who is truly to blame and thus establish negligence.
It may go without saying, but generally, chain-reaction car accidents have more injuries and are considerably more dangerous even after the accident occurs. It’s important to keep your safety and the safety of others at the forefront.
Depending on the location of the accident and your safety, these are the steps to take if you are involved in a multi-car accident:
Step 1: Never get out of your vehicle unless it’s safe to do so, keep in mind the safety of others, not just your own
Step 2: Call 911 or the police
Step 3: If you’re not hurt and can safely exit your vehicle, take pictures and videos immediately
Step 4: If bystanders who have seen the accident occur stop, get names, contact information, and ask them to stay to speak with the police while the incident is fresh in their mind
Step 5: Ask all involved in the car accident for their insurance information
Step 6: Never leave the scene, wait for the police to arrive, and be sure a police report is completed
Step 7: Contact your insurance agency
Step 8: If necessary, you should see a healthcare provider as soon as possible. Although you may feel fine following a serious accident for hours or even a couple of days, your adrenaline could be to blame. It’s important that you seek medical attention to ensure you are free from injuries that may show themselves later.
Step 9: Last but definitely not least, contact a qualified and reliable car accident attorney. This is a critical part of the process. The sooner you speak to a Colorado car accident lawyer, the better. Not only will the accident be fresh on your mind so you can better explain the details, but obtaining an attorney quickly will ensure that you can focus on recovering.
A complex accident requires thorough and skilled investigation and that begins with gathering evidence at the time of the accident. Skid marks, vehicle damage, and debris can be evaluated to determine who is to blame. Eyewitnesses can also give accounts of what happened to help establish negligence. Police reports are also key. Since the police are usually the first to arrive on the scene, they can often establish a clear chain of liability and gathering the police report will help.
Sometimes, however, the police report does not clearly establish negligence. When this occurs, an experienced Northern Colorado car accident attorney can help. Your lawyer will be able to conduct an exhaustive investigation of the accident and build a case that is designed to obtain maximum compensation.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that insurance companies don’t like settling multi-car accidents easily. In fact, they may purposefully delay or deny claims until a clear liability has been established. Even when liability has been proven, they may still be reluctant to pay accident victims what they need. During this time, many insurance companies shift the blame or attempt to shift the blame to other drivers in an attempt to reduce their own liabilities. That is why it is so important to have an experienced Northern Colorado car accident lawyer on your side from the very start.
In some cases, more than one driver may be held accountable which means they will all share part of the blame. When this happens, the insurance companies often determine the percentage of blame each driver holds. Meaning, if one driver is 10% at fault, another is 10% at fault, and another is 80% at fault, that will be how the insurance companies will pay. This can be very confusing for those who were not found to be negligent, having an experienced multi-car accident lawyer by your side will help you decipher the outcome and be sure you get the compensation you deserve.
In 2003, Colorado changed from a no-fault insurance state to a “fault” insurance state. This gave injured accident victims several options when attempting to recover compensation after an accident. The injured accident victim can file a claim with their insurance company, with the at-fault driver’s insurance company, or can go to civil court and file a lawsuit against the other driver. An experienced Northern Colorado car accident attorney can accurately determine which driver’s insurance company you should file your claim against. It is important to know that many multi-vehicle collisions end up in litigation. This is why having a strong legal advocate by your side is so important.
Driving safely is every driver’s responsibility. The best way to avoid a multi-car accident is to stay alert, keep safe distances away from other vehicles, and follow the rules of the road. If you see drivers who are erratic or distracted, do your best to avoid them, and if you are driving distracted, safely pull over so you can take care of those distractions before getting back behind the wheel.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident in Broomfield, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, or anywhere in Colorado, it is important to contact our experienced car accident attorneys immediately. At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., our committed lawyers are dedicated to the belief that everyone deserves justice. Contact us at (303) 423-1770 or (866) 385-3505.
We know that you have choices when it comes to hiring a personal attorney lawyer in the Denver area, we encourage you to read our testimonials and then call us for your free consultation.
Our wrongful death lawyers have extensive experience representing injured accident victims in Broomfield, Arvada, Superior, Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, Brighton, Commerce City, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, Longmont, and throughout Colorado.
At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., we are honored to help accident victims in their time of need, and take our responsibility as personal injury lawyers incredibly seriously. We know how important it is for victims to secure the full and fair compensation they need following a serious accident, and that is why we take a hands-on, personalized approach to every case we handle.
awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries. Read More
awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement. Read More
awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier. Read More
settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air. Read More
settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager. Read More
awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job. Read More
settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit. Read More
settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury. Read More
settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino. Read More
awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident. Read More
$1,250,000.00 –awarded to a woman who was a victim of a car crash. The woman was driving the highway when the other driver approaching from the opposite direction lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line and hit her head on. She suffered multiple broken bones, including her hip, pelvis, leg, and right arm. She missed several years of work as a result of her injuries.
$1,200.000.00 –awarded to a woman who was the victim of a t-bone car crash. The client suffered multiple injuries. The most significant of which was a head injury. While she was ultimately able to return to work on a part-time basis, Plaintiff was never able to return to work on a full-time basis.
$450,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who suffered a head injury. She slipped and fell in a slanted parking lot at her place of employment. Evidence demonstrated that the owner of the building had constructed a fence shading the parking lot such that ice was allowed to continuously accumulate during the winter months. Multiple people had fallen on the ice prior to the client’s fall. As a result of her injuries, Plaintiff was forced to take early retirement.
$425,000 –awarded to a man whose vehicle was hit from behind by a semi. The injured party suffered back pain and rotator cuff tears in each shoulder and was forced to retire from his job doing road repair four years earlier.
$300,000.00 –settlement (policy limits) awarded to a young man who lost his eye when another child shot an arrow into the air.
$300,000.00 –settlement obtained for a man who was injured in a rear end automobile accident. He suffered a herniated disc in his low back which was not well resolved by surgery forcing him to leave his employment as an apartment maintenance manager.
$250,000.00 –awarded to a gentleman in association with a workman’s compensation case. He initially sustained a head injury at work when attacked by a patient. Several years later, his condition worsened resulting in his inability to return to work in his usual job.
$250,000.00 –settlement achieved in a legal malpractice case. The client initially suffered a herniated disc in her neck in association with an automobile accident. The attorney failed to file the lawsuit in a timely manner and the Plaintiff was initially denied her ability to achieve any monies from the original lawsuit.
$150,000.00 –settlement awarded to a man who was a victim of an automobile accident. Plaintiff was a passenger who was rear-ended by another driver. Following the accident, he suffered a long term back injury.
$125,000.00 –settlement awarded to a lady who aggravated a pre-existing back condition when she slipped and fell at the entrance to a casino.
$75,000.00 –awarded to a woman who suffered a rotator cuff tear from an automobile accident.
Easy to talk to. They made my experience very comfortable through my whole
journey. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the whole staff at Hull &
Zimmerman. Thank you
- 
– R. Hamilton1
I
would just like to send a “thank you” to you and your staff. You have been
the most professional and efficient law office if have ever dealt with. I
will continue to tell people about the wonderful job you have done for me
and my family. Mr. Zimmerman you are the most professional lawyer and I
truly appreciate all you have done. Again Thank you
– D. Hassoun
would just like to send a “thank you” to you and your staff. You have been
the most professional and efficient law office if have ever dealt with. I
will continue to tell people about the wonderful job you have done for me
and my family. Mr. Zimmerman you are the most professional lawyer and I
truly appreciate all you have done. Again Thank you.
– Jason B.
I
was injured in a fall and the nightmare began. I found Mike Zimmerman on the
internet, read his background history and contacted his office. The Office
Staff was wonderful, patient, and helpful, even though I was probably a pain
to them. Mike is a no nonsense kind of guy. He will tell you exactly what he
feels about your case and will not sugar coat it. You will know exactly what
to expect and I appreciated the honesty! I would recommend Mike to anyone
who has their life spinning out of control because of an accident. He help
me get my life back.
– Mary T.
Working through divorce and custody issues is an extremely difficult and
emotionally trying experience. Mike Zimmerman represented my interest in a
highly professional manner and protected my rights as a parent at a level
that exceeded my highest expectations. This firm’s expertise, ability and
professionalism earned my respect as well as my continued business for any
legal issues I encounter in the future.
– Michael D.
We
came across mike Zimmerman when we were involved in an accident awhile back,
we had been negotiating with the insurance company for some time and getting
nowhere with a settlement. Never knowing Mike Zimmerman when we had gone and
seen him it really surprised us that he made us feel right at home and that
he was really concerned for his clients. Mike was very upfront with us a our
lawyer, and advised us every step of the way. His associates were very
professional and office personnel was very friendly also. Mike got almost
double the settlement we were expecting and we just were very satisfied and
would highly recommend him to anyone that needs a good honest lawyer.
– Clarencec & Joy W.
We
were hit by an uninsured driver in 2006 and my husband was unable to work
for some time. Initially our own insurance really didn’t want to help us. On
the recommendation of a friend, we contacted Mr. Z and with his advice,
suggestions and hard work, we were able to get the what we needed from our
insurance to help us with our bills and medical costs. His staff was very
patient with us as well and was always available to reassure us and to
answer our questions. We hope nothing like this ever happens again, but if
it was to happen, we would contact Mr Zimmerman in a heart beat.
– G. & B O.
Rick – Smart and nice! We were nervous and Rick put us at ease. Kept us
informed. Never thought we made a bad choice. Also, the first time I called,
I talked to Rick…impressed us very much.
– D. & S. Bratrovsky
Exceeded expectations!
– T. Thiel
I
liked the fact that I was kept up to date throughout the process. When the
accident first happened, Rick went to bat for me right away to make sure
that I was compensated for my loss of transportation. The end result in my
case exceeded my expectations and I was very pleased.
– D. Hughley
I
appreciated the effort Rick Hull presented during the difficulties that
occurred throughout the settlement and following. I felt completely at ease
during the whole process.
– Michele Wolf
I
appreciated the fact that Rick Hull always explained everything to me. No
matter how insignificant I thought the question was, he encouraged me to ask
and was very patient when I didn’t understand some aspect of the legal
procedures. I also appreciated the fact that Rick was a real person, he
wasn’t stiff or unapproachable. He was easy to talk to, to understand, and
get along with. In addition, he explained certain aspects of Colorado law
thoroughly to me so that I could make an informed decision that best suited
my needs.
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