Imagine driving through Milwaukee on your way to work. Usually, your commute is fairly boring. You might spend a few minutes in slow-moving traffic during rush hour, but this is usually about as much excitement as you see. But, on this day, another driver was going too fast and the next thing you know, you are in the middle of a multi-car wreck. What happens now? How does the insurance company decide who is at fault for the accident?
When there is a car accident that involves three or more cars, most insurance companies have a set of rules to follow to determine which driver was liable. To find out more about how fault is determined in a multiple car crash, read below.
One simple question
Determining fault in a car crash that involved more than two vehicles is usually relatively easy. In general, the car insurance company will ask who was the car in the rear. Most of the time, the car at the back of the accident is the one that caused it.
Chain reaction
Most multi-vehicle accidents happen as a chain reaction. They often start with the car at the rear of the wreck, which was the first to hit one car, pushing it into the next one and so forth. The car that started the chain reaction is typically the one at fault.
Personal Injury Protection
A few states, not including Wisconsin, use Personal Injury Protection. This means that the fault could be with two or more of the drivers that were part of the wreck. In cases like this, the responding officer that writes the report is usually the one to assign fault, however, insurance adjusters might also make a determination.
Challenge the decision
If the insurer decides that you were the one at fault for the accident, you can challenge it. In order to succeed with a challenge, you must be able to present a convincing argument and possibly provide evidence. Before you do this, make sure that your challenge is valid. If you are simply trying to avoid blame, then you could end up facing charges for insurance fraud.
If you have been involved in a multi-car accident, it is important to understand how insurance companies determine fault. If the insurer denies your claim, you may be able to take legal action and fight for the compensation you deserve.
See our car accident service page to get help now!
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