Who is at fault in a multi-car accident?

As more people move into the large cities of Colorado, the number of car accidents has risen as well. Unfortunately, not all accidents involve only two vehicles. Sometimes, those highway or busy street car accidents end up in a pile up, leaving the drivers wondering who is at fault. 

NOLO calls these accidents chain reactions because they involve car B hitting car A then car C hitting car B and so forth. Each driver may hold some degree of fault for carelessness depending on the situation. An injured party may find it difficult to file a personal injury claim against the driver especially if they are unsure who holds the primary fault.  

Determining how much liability each driver is responsible for can be difficult. If the injured party is in car A, they must be able to prove negligence of the drivers behind them. The court will want to know the circumstances around the accident before assigning fault or percentage of liability.  

According to the revised Colorado law statute 13-21-111, the state uses comparative negligence to determine the awarding of damages. In a multi-car accident, comparative negligence could mean lower financial rewards or none at all. The court takes into account the actions of each driver and how much they contributed to the injuries of the injured party. The court uses percentages to measure the degree of negligence of each party in the accident. 

Regardless of who is at fault in the accident, it may still be worth speaking with a personal injury attorney if someone was injured in a multi-car accident. The police report can help determine the degree of negligence of each driver. 

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