What To Do If Involved in a Pileup Car Accident

11 Apr What To Do If Involved in a Pileup Car Accident

A pileup accident (also known as a chain-reaction accident or multi-vehicle collision) occurs when vehicles continue to wreck into an existing car accident on the highway.

Millions of Americans are injured in car accidents every year, and many of these auto accidents result in fatalities. Most pile up accidents are attributed to motorists driving too fast for conditions, but there can also be other underlying causes.

According to business lawyers, these types of accidents can happen anytime. However, icy roads and bad driving conditions may play a large role in their occurrence. At the same time, a distracted or intoxicated driver can also cause a pile-up accident. Injured victims of these accidents may hire an auto accident attorney or a car accident lawyer to help them file a claim.
If you find yourself involved in a pile-up, there are a few things you need to do:

1. Determine if it is safer to stay in the vehicle or to get out. This is the hardest part, and many factors can contribute to this decision. If the road is absolutely clear behind you, you may wish to exit the vehicle and quickly move well off the roadway. If you are near the back of the pileup and there are vehicles coming at you, STAY IN THE CAR. If the accident was bad enough to deploy your airbags, you may need to decide if the car is still able to protect you in the case of another accident. There is no steadfast rule on this, rather, it’s a decision you have to make. Be aware though that your car is built to protect you in case of an accident. If you get out of your car on the highway, you are always putting yourself in a vulnerable position. Make sure you get physical therapy after getting injury to gain back strength and confidence like before.
2. Ensure that you get emergency medical attention. Call 911 or get yourself to the emergency room. This is vital even though you may not have any visible injuries. Internal injuries may cause bleeding and turn into life-threatening situations. You should not be worried about medical costs at this point; those can be taken care of at a later date by the parties deemed negligent. Failing to seek medical treatment may very well prevent you from obtaining compensation.
3. Take down the names, numbers and insurance details of all drivers who were involved in the pile-up. This will help determine culpability as well as make it much easier for you to get compensation from insurance companies.
4. Call an experienced Dallas car accident attorney as soon as possible. This is vital if you’re looking to get justice and compensation for yourself. An experienced car accident lawyer or a local accident attorney will work closely with the police to study the scene of the accident, collect statements and evidence and go through different transportation laws and relevant case law in order to determine who may be liable for your injuries. Car crash in New Jersey? Call a car accident lawyer from Judd Shaw Injury Law.

Prevention is what you should be aiming for in such instances. Car accident pileups can be avoided by taking a few prudent steps.

Here’s a helpful list:

1. Pay attention to the road while driving. Switch off you phone or put in on vibrate, and don’t be tempted to use it while driving. Turn down the volume on your radio to where you can still hear outside noises like car horns and collisions. If you’re fatigued, irritable, depressed or angry, stop and take a rest break.
2. Don’t speed. While cruising down the road at 75 mph might feel nice, it might just end in a multiple car pile-up. Faster speeds mean that you car will have a large amount of momentum. This means it will take much longer to stop, and at a high rate of speed you will also have much less reaction time.
3. Don’t tailgate. It’s always a good idea to stay 3 seconds behind the car in front of you. This will give you enough time to appropriately react in the event of a pile-up. Failure to maintain a safe following distance is the #1 cause of pile up accidents.
4. Don’t drink and drive. Drinking or taking substances which impair your spatial, analytical and deductive abilities will drastically increase your chances of being in an accident. At the same time, other consequences such as license suspension, jail time, serious injuries and damaged property are closely related to drinking and driving. Respect the drinking and driving laws and if you have to go out and drink, please have a sober designated driver, taxi, or car service take you to your venue and back. The $20 cab fare pales in comparison with the costs associated with a DWI arrest, not to mention the consequences of causing a fatal accident.