Every year, there are over 6 million car crashes in the United States. It is easy to see that many of these accidents involve more than two vehicles. Many crashes can cause a domino effect. We see so many news stories about multi-vehicle accidents blocking roads. Some estimates that 40% of all accidents involve more than two cars.
Your Georgia accident lawyer must decide how many people they want to sue. This is the good news: you don’t need to do this on your own. Call our office to schedule your complimentary consultation. They will review your case and answer all questions.
You Could Sue Several Parties for a Multi-Vehicle Accident
Most likely, your Georgia will name multiple parties in your lawsuit. More than a third (33%) of motor vehicle accidents involve 3 or greater cars. This means that you might need to sue more than one party. In Georgia, a multiparty lawsuit would be treated as one unit by the court years ago.
This was called joint liability. They used to say that all defendants were equally responsible for your damages. You could pursue one defendant or try to collect equal amounts from each. This changed in 2005. The verdict now breaks down the responsibility of each party. It is based on the percentage of fault.
This is done based on the driver’s percentage of fault. Imagine you are suing three drivers for $300,000. Each defendant would have been responsible for $300,000. If the suit was filed in 2004, all three defendants would be liable. The total amount owed to the defendants would remain the same regardless of who made the payment.
These old rules no longer apply because your accident occurred in 2021. You could sue 2 people for damages. The damage would be divided based on who was at fault. If defendant A is deemed 40% at fault, they will have to pay $120,000 They would also be responsible for $135,000. If defendant A was found to be 45% at fault, then they would have to pay $120,000. This means you would be liable for 35% of the damages. The total damages you would suffer from would amount to $255,000.
Is One Defendant Clearly at Fault?
Your Georgia accident lawyer will also consider whether one party was partially at fault. Imagine a 3-car collision in Atlanta. The driver who was not at fault was left parked, so they aren’t liable. Another car was stopped at a red light, and it took off a little too quickly. Another car was also speeding through the intersection at the same time. Car C collided with Car B, and both cars slammed into you.
In this instance, who would be responsible? Car C is the party most at fault. But Car B is partially responsible, as they didn’t wait until the light turned green before they entered the intersection. Your attorney will likely sue Car C rather than Car B in this instance. They don’t have to make this choice. They will just name them in the lawsuit.
Which Defendant Has More Assets?
Your Georgia accident lawyer should also consider the assets of the defendants. It is more sensible to pursue the defendant who has property and many other assets. They are more likely to settle than a driver with no assets. Your attorney and you don’t care who pays as long as your damages have been paid.
Contact Us to Schedule a Meeting With a Georgia Accident Lawyer
You are likely to have serious injuries if you were involved in a multi-vehicle collision. The insurance companies are not in your best interest. Your focus should be on your recovery from your injuries. Our firm will take care of that.
Call us to schedule your complimentary consultation with one of our Georgia accident lawyers. They are available to answer any questions that you might have. You can also ask them how they feel you should proceed. Your consultation is completely free so there’s no need to worry about paying anything upfront.
