Read Our ReviewsA 45-car pileup which occurred in Tallahassee has been attributed to bad weather and slow traffic. In a report by the Tallahassee Democrat, eight people were injured and there were several hours of gridlock in the state capital which led to great discomfort for motorists. The incident happened during the afternoon rush hour and involved close to 18 separate collisions including five semis.
Speaking on the incident, FHP Maj. Chris Blackmon revealed that a motorist was driving very slowly in front of a tractor-trailer during a very heavy downpour. The torrential downpour combined with the bad decision of the motorist led to the chaos.
According to a recent report by reputable Personal Injury Attorney in Florida, visibility, standing water, heavy rain, and wind are known to cause hazards for motorists during the Florida rainy season. It has been advised that if any motorist is caught in heavy rain they should pull off the motorway and wait until the weather improves. Moving slowly or outright stopping on the roadway can lead to severe hazard which can degenerate into a chain-reaction collision like the one that happened in Tallahassee.
Chain reaction collisions are known to complicate car accident claims. In order to make a claim, victims must be able to identify fault and all at fault parties and their associated insurance coverage. Limited insurance coverage and contributory negligence are some of the other issues common to such claims particularly when there is one predominant responsible party and multiple victims that suffer injury.
Injured parties have also been known to pursue individuals who are blamed for causing a collision. Victims can also be known to be culpable in a collision. A good example is when you strike the car in front of you. You may be accused of failing to allow enough clear distance ahead and not driving at speed expected for such condition. According to the Florida negligence law, victim’s damages is reduced in proportion to finding a fault. So although being found partially to blame may not stop damage pay, it can reduce the figure.
Another thing that can impact auto accident claims against multiple defendants is Florida’s abolishment of joint and several liabilities. Initially, all defendants are held liable for the entire judgment. But the current law states that the defendant will only be held according to the proportion of their fault. The disadvantage of this is that it can complicate recovery in instances where one defendant is found predominately responsible for an accident that led to injuries to multiple victims and the insurance coverage is limited.
From a practical standpoint, it is advised that victims consult experienced Personal Injury Attorney in Florida immediately after a multi-vehicular incident, particularly one that resulted in wrongful death or personal injury. These cases, from a road safety standpoint, are a form of reminder of the importance of exercising extra care when driving in less than conducive weather. Because even if you are not culpable for a collision, you can share blame for secondary collisions in instances where you do not take the expected steps to reduce the chances of a multi-vehicular accident from happening.