Car accident claims in New Mexico can be complicated, especially if an accident involves several vehicles. Usually, multi-car accidents lead to finger-pointing when determining liability. If you have been in this kind of situation, a Caruso Law Offices, P.C. car accident attorney can walk you through the possible parties that may be held liable for your injuries and losses. With an attorney on your side, you have a good chance of maximizing the compensation you may be able to secure through your insurance claim.
How to Determine Fault in an Accident that Involves Many Vehicles
Accidents that involve more than two vehicles make it hard to determine the party to blame for causing the crash. Indeed, investigations could find out that more than one party can be at fault for the crash.
Typically, liability for an accident involving three vehicles depends on the party who caused the first impact. For instance, a motorist may have caused a chain reaction accident that affected other two cars in a three-vehicle scenario. In this kind of accident, liability is usually assigned to the first driver who made contact with another car.
But in some instances, a three-vehicle accident could have several liable parties. For instance, when a motorist was using their phone while behind the wheel and did not see another driver’s erratic behavior, both motorists could be to blame for the crash that involved other cars.
Often, determining liability for accidents that involve more than two vehicles requires an extensive investigation by different parties such as the police, insurance providers, and accident reconstructionist. Some evidence that should be considered for an accident that involves several cars includes statements from eyewitnesses, video surveillance of the crash, photos of the crash scene, police reports, mobile device data, and more.
Understanding the Comparative Negligence Laws in New Mexico
When you discuss multiple-car accidents with your attorney, you must talk about how New Mexico handles comparative negligence between motorists. The state adopts a pure comparative negligence system. Under this system, the parties involved in the accident may still be able to recover compensation for the injuries and damages they sustained even if they are 99% responsible for the crash.
But some limitations are set to the amount of compensation an individual can get. Parties involved in a crash in New Mexico can receive a reduced amount of compensation based on their percentage of fault. For instance, if you incurred expenses worth $100, 000 because of the accident and you have been determined to be 45% at fault for the crash, you could get $55, 000 in compensation.
