If you suffer injuries in a car accident, you can file a claim and seek compensation against the driver responsible for the collision. However, filing a claim can become more challenging if you are involved in an accident with more than one party.

Some accidents may involve multiple parties who face liability for damages you suffered. You can rely on your Montgomery personal injury lawyer from The Vance Law Firm to investigate and identify the parties involved in your accident and help you file your claim.

How Does Fault Affect Your Car Accident Case?

The affirmative defense of contributory negligence applies to Alabama personal injury cases. This defense means that the plaintiff may not recover damages for their injuries if they bear any fault in the accident.

Personal injury claims in Alabama require four basic elements to establish fault:

• Duty of care: The negligent party must act responsibly, such as driving carefully and obeying all traffic laws
• Breach: A negligent party did not exercise their duty of care; for example, they were speeding or didn’t stop at red lights
• Causation: The careless behavior of the negligent party caused your injuries
• Damages: You sustained damages resulting from the accident

Working with an attorney who can prove you were not at fault for an accident is essential in Alabama. Your lawyer can determine who caused the collision based on police reports, videos, and photos taken at the scene. Your attorney can also interview witnesses to determine what happened to prove the other parties caused the accident.

When Can Multiple Parties be Liable for the Accident and Your Injuries?

Numerous parties can be responsible for a motor vehicle accident in Alabama. These accidents include:

Multi-Vehicle Accidents

A multi-vehicle pileup occurs when a driver’s negligent actions lead to a chain reaction between two or more vehicles. They involve:

• Aggressive driving on the road, like tailgating and running stop lights and signs
• Excessive speeding can lead to loss of vehicle control and higher crash severity, causing severe injuries
• Distracted driving such as texting, eating, and other actions that can take the driver’s focus off the road

A study conducted by the National Highway Safety Administration found that drivers were distracted at intersections with traffic lights and misjudged the actions of other drivers. As a result, over 50% of car accidents occur at or near intersections, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). These accidents resulted in fatalities and severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and whiplash injuries.

Truck Accidents

Truckers can be held responsible for accidents and injuries since they must operate their vehicles safely. However, the trucking companies may also share liability in the accident. A trucking company must follow the FMCSA’s rules about service hours for their drivers. They must also conduct regular drug and alcohol testing for their drivers under the Department of Transportation’s regulations.

Other potentially liable parties in a truck accident include:

• Cargo shipper responsible for proper loading and security of cargo on the truck
• Maintenance company that inspects and maintains the commercial fleet of trucks
• Truck component manufacturers must produce and perform quality assurance of their products

For instance, if a truck accident involved an intoxicated, fatigued driver operating an overloaded truck, the cargo shipper may be liable for improper loading. The driver can be held responsible for driving under the influence. A truck company may share liability for pushing the driver to work beyond the federally-mandated service hours. The manufacturer could be liable if a defective truck component caused the accident.

Drunk Driving Accidents

While intoxicated drivers usually bear responsibility for a drunk driving accident, other parties can also contribute. Bars, restaurants, and other businesses can be complicit in a drunk driving accident under Alabama’s Dram Shop Law. It states that establishments are liable if they serve alcohol to a driver who is underage or appears intoxicated and causes an accident.

The law also applies to social hosts who hold parties at home and serve alcohol to their guests. If a guest leaves drunk from a party and causes an accident, the host can face a potential lawsuit from the injured victim.

The Vance Law Firm Can Help with Your Claim

The experienced personal injury attorneys at The Vance Law Firm can assist you if you have been injured in an accident that involved multiple parties. We can file claims against the negligent parties and negotiate a full and fair settlement with the insurers to help you pay your medical bills and other accident-related expenses.

Schedule a free case evaluation today with an experienced car accident lawyer with The Vance Law Firm to learn the steps you can take to get the justice you deserve.