Crash Involving Four Vehicles on Capital City Freeway
A crash involving four vehicles on the Capital City Freeway at 1:00 p.m. left one person trapped and another injured after a collision with a big truck. The accident on April 3 occurred midday in the area of N Street. The incident blocked several lanes of traffic. The Sacramento Fire Department was called to the accident site. One injured person was taken to a local trauma center. It was reported the person was admitted to the hospital for treatment. Rescue personnel was working on freeing the trapped individual. An SUV involved in the accident was crushed in both the back and the front. As of the time of this report, little additional information has been released about the crash, and there is no word on how it happened.
Traffic Blocked in Midtown Sacramento
Three lanes of traffic backed up as rescuers worked at the accident site. Blocked lanes were reopened by 2:30 in the afternoon. The fire department transported two dogs who were in the injured person’s vehicle away from the crash site. Pictures posted by the fire department showed the canines in the rescue vehicle. They will be returned to their owner once treatment is completed.
Crash Involving Four Vehicles
A crash involving four vehicles is a multi-vehicle accident. This sort of collision occurs frequently on high-speed freeways or highways with increased congestion. They are particularly dangerous and account for roughly 15 percent of all fatalities. This translates into 13,000 deaths annually. They are caused by the force of the initial collision, usually a rear end accident. One significant feature of a crash involving four vehicles or more is that they bounce off one another. This means that the same vehicle may be hit multiple times. Safety devices such as airbags only deploy once, after which they are useless in saving lives. In addition, side impacts, which are plentiful in multi-vehicle collisions, can cause serious injuries. The lack of protection in door panels enhances this.
The Sequence of a Multivehicle Crash
Let’s consider a crash involving four vehicles. For convenience, we’ll label them vehicle one through four with one being in the furthermost rear position.
- Vehicle two is traveling at the legal speed limit when he or she sees slowing vehicles ahead and hits the brakes. Unfortunately, the brake lights are nonfunctioning.
- Vehicle one does not benefit from an early sign of slowing normally provided by the brake lights and hits the rear of the second vehicle. The second vehicle is pushed into the car occupying the third position.
- The third vehicle leaves its lane, and the fourth vehicle strikes it. Both the third and fourth vehicles are driving within the speed limit.
Who Is at Fault?
It is complex to determine fault in this crash involving four vehicles. The driver in the first car (vehicle one) had no indication that the vehicle in front of him was slowing down. However, this driver has the responsibility of maintaining a proper space between his vehicle and the one in front of him. His liability might be reduced due to driver two’s negligence. Driver two suffered injury due to the rear end crash. However, he is not without blame since it is his duty to make sure his lights, flashers, and blinkers are in working order before taking to the road. A portion of liability will undoubtedly be assigned to him. The third vehicle is traveling at the proper speed, and the driver was without fault in the accident. He will be able to collect 100 percent of his damages. The fourth vehicle bears some liability since the driver has the responsibility of watching the road ahead and taking measures to avoid a collision. It is uncertain what degree of liability will be assigned.
Comparative Fault
In the crash involving four vehicles above, every driver except the one in the third vehicle has some measure of fault. It will be up to the jury to assign the measure of fault in a civil court case. Since California operates under the doctrine of comparative fault, the drivers with some liability will still be able to collect damages. For instance, the first driver was liable for not allowing enough space to stop in time. However, the driver ahead in the second position also bears some responsibility. Instead of collecting 100 percent of the compensation for their injuries, the second driver may collect only 70 percent. The amount depends on the liability the jury assigns the second driver.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento car accident lawyer. Assigning fault after a crash involving four vehicles can be challenging. Having the legal insight an injury lawyer can provide helps obtain the compensation you deserve. All drivers in the multi-vehicle crash will be trying to be assigned the least amount of damages. Call me at (916) 921-6400 or at (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice. You can contact me online also.
I’ve been here for the residents of Sacramento for over 37 years. I’ve helped them in all varieties of car accidents, wrongful deaths and other types of trauma.
I am a member of the Million Dollar Forum that admits lawyers who have won more than one million dollars for a client. The National Association of Distinguished Lawyers is an organization that allows membership to the top tier of lawyers who practice legal excellence.
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Photo Attribution: Depositphotos_84780222_l-2015
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