Who Is At Fault In a Rochester Chain Reaction Vehicle Accident?

Establishing negligence after a car accident is not always an easy task. There needs to be evidence collected from the scene that helps to show who is at fault. Determining fault for a two-car accident can sound complicated. Imagine how much more complicated things can get when it is a chain reaction accident in Rochester.

Car One Hits Car Two Which Hits Car Three And Etc.

Chain reaction car accidents on busy Rochester streets may occur for many reasons. They may happen in traffic when some drivers cannot react quickly enough. During the winter, bad road conditions can make it even easier for a two-car collision to push its way into other vehicles and cause more damage.

Who Is Liable?

Generally (but not always), the rear-ending car is at fault. Usually, the car that collided with the rear of another vehicle is immediately responsible.

If the car in front suddenly slams on their brakes, that can lead to a finding of liability. As the operator of your motor vehicle, it is your responsibility to be aware of what is going on around you. You need to be alert and react properly to each situation.

What About The Middle Cars?

Usually, but certainly not always, the drivers of the middle cars in Rochester chain reactions are not found to be at fault for any part of the accident. There may be exceptions such as if the driver of the middle car did not make any attempt to avoid colliding with the other cars.

Rochester often has icy winter roads, and they do not help the situation in a chain reaction accident. For example, if car one hits car two and they both slide on the ice into car three, then car one is more than likely going to be considered liable. But what happens when car four comes along, cannot stop because of the ice, and sends all three of the original cars into a whole new set of vehicles? It can get complicated, and that is why police reports are so important.

Generally, you should not try to sort out a complicated Rochester chain collision on your own. If you have been involved in one of these situations, we recommend that you contact our office immediately to get legal guidance from one of our qualified Rochester accident lawyers.