Author (edwinaodriscoll). Submitted on Thu, 21 Jun 2012
Two people were killed in a car pileup that occurred along Highway 402 near Sarnia, Ontario on January 2012. Police said that poor weather conditions caused at least 25 vehicles, including a police cruiser, to slam into each other. This raises the question: In car accidents that involve more than two cars, who should be held liable?
Poor visibility is one of the many causes of a pileup, given that the accident occurred when you couldn’t clearly see what is two feet in front of you. But more often than not, it is one driver’s mistake on the road that can cause a huge mess. However, due to the extent of the damage in a pileup, authorities usually have a hard time determining the person or group liable.
Scenario 1: Car A gets hit by Car B and Car C
This is a relatively obvious scenario where Car A, promptly stopping at a red light, gets hit in the rear by two more cars. Like any rear-end collision, the cars that rammed Car A are responsible for the crash, as well as for damages. Both Cars B and C may split the payment of damages.
Scenario 2: Car A gets hit by Car B because Car B gets hit by Car C
In this scenario, two cars neatly lined up stop at a red light when, all of a sudden, the incoming car sets off a chain reaction. Car C hits Car B and pushes the latter to hit Car A. Cars A and B are not at fault here, as the two were clearly the victims of Car C’s mistake.
Scenario 3: Car A gets hit by Car B, and then Car B gets hit by Car C
Car A promptly stops at a red light when, from out of the blue, Car B hits Car A in the rear. As if that wasn’t trouble enough, Car B gets hit by Car C. This kind of Toronto car accident can be treated separately. Car C is liable for Car B and Car B is liable for Car A.
Pileups can be a tricky situation to resolve because of the extent of the damage. In light of this, car accident lawyers advise the public to gather as much information as they can about the car pileup to justify their claims for compensation. In a Toronto car accident, somebody has to pay the price for his or her wrongdoing.
For more information about a Toronto car accident like a pileup, visit the resource website at AllAboutCarAccidents.com. You can also visit its parent website at Nolo.com for more info on car accident liability.
If you have questions, please visit us at www.A-Personal-Injury-Lawyer-Toronto.com for complete details and answers.