While car accidents involving two vehicles can be relatively simple to recreate and assess fault, determining who did what after a large-scale crash can be much more difficult. A single collision on a highway or crowded road can snowball into a large-scale crash involving multiple vehicles, resulting in mass devastation and serious injuries to those involved. Insurance adjustors often have a hard time figuring out how to assign liability amidst the carnage and finger-pointing of drivers following a multiple-car collision. To accommodate for this uncertainty, insurance companies often attempt to pay involved parties the bare minimum amount of compensation.
Since the initial offerings of insurance companies are oftentimes way less than what an injured party would actually need to cover their losses, many claims stemming from multiple-vehicle crashes end up being contested in court. Injured parties can increase their chances of receiving fair compensation by enlisting the services of a knowledgeable car accident lawyer to negotiate with the involved insurance providers on their behalf.
Georgia’s Modified Comparative Negligence Rule
In the state of Georgia, injured parties are permitted to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault parties in pursuit of monetary damages for their suffering. Any damages that are awarded will be reduced by the percentage of the driver’s own liability for the collision. Drivers who are 50 percent or more to blame for a crash will not be able to recover anything.
For example, if a person is suffers $50,000 worth of damages after a collision but is found to be 20% at fault for the crash, their eligible compensation will equal to the remaining 80% – in this case, $40,000.
Injured? Contact an Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer
If you have been injured in a multiple-car pileup, a trial-tested Atlanta car accident attorney from the Law Offices of K. Douglas Cook can advocate on your behalf and fight to secure the financial recovery you deserve. With more than 3,000 cases handled and 20+ years of dedicated legal experience, we can provide the powerful advocacy you need to help you get back on your feet as smoothly as possible.
Call (678) 974-0432 or request a free consultation to get started towards filing a claim.