It’s scary to be involved in a car accident. But it can be more traumatic if you are involved in a car accident with multiple people. The more cars involved in the accident, the higher risk of injuries of everyone and the more difficult it will be to determine who was at fault.
The police may find one person at fault for the accident. They may have been distracted, impaired, or driving too fast given the road conditions, But it is not uncommon for several people to be at fault. Law enforcement can determine that one person was 80% at fault and another was 20% at fault. Whatever the percentage, the insurance companies pay according to the police findings.
Knowing what to do ahead of time will help you do the right thing if you are involved in a multi-car accident.
What You Should Do After Car Accident with Multiple People
Your first instinct may be to get out of the car to verify what happened and see if everyone is okay. But your safety needs to come first. If you are involved in a multi-car accident, here are some things you should do. But again, ensure your safety first:
- Stay in your car – stay put with your seatbelt fastened. More cars may be coming behind you, and the accident may not be over.
- Wait for the police – once the scene is secure, you can exit your car. You will want to get names and insurance information from everyone you can. Gathering this information will help your claim.
- Get pictures – only when it’s safe to leave your vehicle do you want to start getting photos. Take pictures of your car and all vehicles involved in the accident. Show different angles for the insurance company and attorney.
- Contact your insurance company – the sooner you can file the claim, the better. Even if you don’t have all the information necessary, let your insurance company know you were involved in a multi-car accident. You can always send them more information as you receive it.
- Contact an attorney – Contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. If you are at fault, you’ll need protection. If you were injured, you would need an Georgia attorney to help you fight the insurance company for the compensation you deserve.
Working with a Personal Injury Attorney
We strongly recommend immediately contacting an attorney following a car accident. You do not know what the other parties are doing. You need someone on your side to work with the insurance companies and maybe even against the other drivers. Other people involved in the accident may contact you and ask if you all want to work with the same lawyer. Should you do so?
Multiple drivers involved in the accident can sometimes work with the same attorney. It can save money since all the evidence only has to be gathered once. It will save time to have one attorney work with multiple insurance companies.
But an attorney can work with multiple clients only if there is no conflict of interest.
When You Want A Georgia Trial Attorney Separate From Other People
There are instances when several people want to get together and all work with the same attorney concerning a car accident with multiple people involved. And there are other times when you should hire a separate attorney. Here are some examples of when you want to hire a car accident and personal injury attorney independent from the other drivers:
- Conflict of Interest – If the police decide that one person, or more people, is at fault for causing the accident, you will need a different attorney to file a claim against them. Your lawyer cannot sue a client on your behalf. The attorney cannot represent opposing parties in the same litigation.
- Competing for shares of the settlement – The insurance company can only pay the set limits. If you have injuries and deserve more, you need an attorney that will fight for you.
- If you’re at fault – If the police determine that you are at fault for causing an accident, you need an experienced car accident attorney to protect you. While you are responsible for the injuries, you need someone to ensure you receive fair treatment.
Working with an experienced Georgia personal injury attorney will help ensure you receive the compensation you deserve or protect you against unfair treatment.
Have you been in a car accident with multiple people? We can help you get your injury compensation claim.
If you are ready to take the next steps? If you are ready to meet with an attorney you can contact us and call 833-4TheWin to speak with one of the experienced personal injury attorneys from Georgia Trial Attorneys.