On Thursday, February 14, 2019, emergency personnel responded to a serious multi-car accident that occurred on Interstate 75 in northern Marion County, Florida. At first, authorities believed that they were responding to a 5 car accident, but investigations showed that it was actually two accidents minutes apart in the same area.
The first accident involved a Scion TC, a Peterbilt semi truck, and a Chevy Impala that occurred near Mile Marker 366 two miles south of County Road 318 exit. Investigators believe that the Scion hit a guardrail and ricocheted back into the road where it stopped in the center lane. The Peterbilt semi then
sideswiped the car, went off of the road and through the guardrail. It entered the southbound lane where it hit the Chevy and rolled on top of the car.
It took firefighters 44 minutes to free the two victims who were pinned under the semi trailer. They had to cut through sections of the trailer to remove the victims, who were then rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
The second crash occurred minutes later when a Freight liner truck hit a VW from behind and went through the same guardrail and ended up in the northbound lanes. Investigators are unsure what caused the accidents to occur at the same time.
Multi-Car Accidents are Serious
Due to the nature of these crashes, many multi-car accidents are serious and result in life-threatening and fatal injuries. These accidents can result in head injuries, fires and explosions, and crushing injuries. Even emergency personnel vehicles can become entangled in following crashes that occur while they are trying to rescue the victims. As you can imagine, these accidents can take time to investigate and victims may be fighting for their lives while insurance companies battle out who is going to pay for it.
Multi-Car Crashes are Complex
Unlike most typical car crashes, multi-vehicle car accidents are extraordinarily complex. When multiple parties are involved, each driver and passenger may hold differing perceptions about what really happened in the moments that led up to the accident. They may each believe that someone else is to blame for the crash and they may minimize their own liabilities.
As a result, it is not always easy to accurately assess the crash and assign blame. These accidents require special investigations into the causes, and a chain of liability must be clearly established. In many cases, there may be multiple parties responsible for the accident and the injuries. What first appears as one giant crash may, in fact, be two or three separate accidents. Until liability is established, insurance companies are often reluctant to pay medical bills.
Have You Been Injured in a Multiple Vehicle Car Crash?
If you’ve been injured in a multi-vehicle accident in Daytona Beach, Florida, it is important to know how complex these cases can be. Establishing fault is not easy when multiple drivers are involved. As such, you need an experienced lawyer on your side from the start. At Zimmet & Zimmet, our experienced Daytona Beach car accident lawyers have extensive experience representing injured accident victims. Contact us today for a free initial consultation and review of your case. Call 386-255-6400 or fill out our confidential contact form and someone will call you back!
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