What Happens When a Truck Accident Involves Multiple Vehicles?

When you get injured in a two-vehicle accident involving a commercial truck, seeking compensation usually involves filing a claim against the trucking company. But, what happens when multiple vehicles are involved?

When a truck accident involves multiple vehicles, seeking compensation can be more complex. While you may have more options for seeking compensation, identifying your options will require an in-depth investigation.

Determining Liability in a Multi-Vehicle Truck Accident in Arkansas

To seek financial compensation for your injuries from a truck accident that involves multiple vehicles, you need to be able to prove who (or what company) is legally responsible. While all truck accidents can have a variety of causes, when multiple vehicles are involved, the list of potential causes is even longer.

The potential causes you will need to assess in this scenario include:

• Trucking Company Negligence – Trucking companies can be held liable for hiring unqualified drivers, failing to maintain their trucks, and various other forms of negligence.
• Truck Driver Negligence – Truck drivers can be held liable for speeding, tailgating, running red lights and stop signs, and all other forms of negligence behind the wheel.
• Another Driver’s Negligence – If another driver caused (or contributed to causing) your truck accident, you may have a claim under that driver’s insurance policy.
• Another Company’s Negligence – If another driver who played a role in causing the accident was working at the time of the collision, his or her employer could be liable.
• A Truck Defect or Mechanical Failure – Electrical malfunctions, brake failures, and various other truck-related issues can provide grounds to file a claim against the truck’s manufacturer or a company that worked on the truck.
• A Defect or Mechanical Failure in Another Vehicle – If an issue with another vehicle involved in the accident was to blame, you could have a claim for a defect or mechanical failure in this scenario as well.
• An Issue with the Roadway – Potholes, low shoulders, dangerous road construction zones, and other roadway hazards can also provide grounds to seek compensation in some cases.

As noted above, determining what claim (or claims) you need to file starts with conducting an investigation. Depending on the circumstances, this may involve not only sending an investigator to the scene of the crash, but seeking to obtain phone records, employment records, maintenance records, and various other forms of documentation as well.

3 Key Steps to Take After a Multi-Vehicle Truck Accident

With these considerations in mind, if you were injured in a truck accident involving multiple vehicles, there are some important steps you should take promptly. To help maximize your chances of recovering compensation, you should:

1. Preserve as Much Information and Documentation as Possible

If you were able to take photos or videos at the accident scene, you should save them on your phone. Likewise, if you received a copy of the police report or collected any other drivers’ vehicle and insurance information, you should keep these in a safe place until you can share them with your lawyer.

You should also take detailed notes. During your free initial consultation, you will want to be able to share as many details with your lawyer as possible.

2. Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer to Investigate

Due to the complexity of truck accident cases involving multiple vehicles, it will be imperative to have an experienced truck accident lawyer on your side. This is not a situation you want to try to handle on your own. To help ensure that your lawyer can conduct an investigation before any key evidence disappears, you should schedule a free consultation as soon as possible.

3. Prioritize Your Medical Care and Recovery

Along with determining what claim (or claims) you need to file, another key step in the process will involve determining how much you are entitled to recover. To help ensure that you can seek full compensation for your accident-related losses, you should prioritize your medical care and recovery. Not only will this help with documenting the cause of your injuries, but it will be important for avoiding accusations that you should have done more to mitigate the costs of your trauma.

Speak with a Rogers Truck Accident Lawyer for FREE

One of the most important decisions you will make after being injured in a serious truck accident is your choice of attorney to represent you. An experienced truck accident lawyer can be the difference between recovering the full compensation you’re entitled to under Arkansas law and walking away with far less than you deserve.

Don’t face your injuries alone. Contact the Rogers truck accident lawyers at Oliver Law Firm today online or at (479) 202-5200 for a FREE case evaluation. Our attorneys proudly serve clients across Arkansas and throughout the United States from our office in Rogers, AR.