Multi-car accidents can result in more than one injury or damage to more than one vehicle. Alternatively, a crash involving multiple vehicles can contribute to a single injury. On occasion, the injured person might have also contributed to their own injury as well as the other parties’ injuries. In these circumstances, determining who is at fault for a multi-car accident can be quite complex.
For example, according to a recent news article, a woman died following a three-vehicle crash in Baltimore County on the outer loop of I-695. The fatal accident occurred just before 1:00AM, when a car struck the side of a backhoe being escorted by two pickup trucks from the Maryland Department of Transportation. Then, the car hit the rear of the front pickup truck. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities are still investigating the precise cause of the crash.
How Does Maryland Law Apportion Fault in Car Accident Lawsuits?
A lawsuit brought after a multi-vehicle crash can involve several different theories of fault. Maryland law allows an injured person to sue two or more defendants for the same injury, such as two drivers of different cars. In other states, a court may apportion liability equally among all defendants. Known as joint liability, this theory is based on the idea that the defendants are all independently at fault for their own actions.