Multi-vehicle accidents, by their very nature, are more complex and devastating than many other types of automobile accidents. Sometimes called “pile-ups” or “chain-reaction accidents,” these collisions involve more than one vehicle and vehicle operator.
With so many parties involved, navigating the legalities of multi-vehicle accidents is best handled by experienced personal injury lawyers. Such collisions tend to have severe financial and physical or emotional consequences. On top of that, Alberta’s Insurance Act further complicates how your legal case can be pursued.
Have you been in a recent accident involving more than one vehicle? You need to understand the intricacies of multi-vehicle accidents in Alberta if you are to make a success of your claim before time runs out, so keep reading. We at Grover Law Firm intend for this article to inform you about your rights and give you an idea of what to expect from a complex car accident claim.
1. Injuries: The Immediate and Long-Term Impact
The potential impact of physical injuries cannot be overemphasized. Even if you seem to be fine after your car accident, make sure to seek medical advice as soon as possible. Doing so ensures that your medical bills will be linked to your accident and that any health complications can be caught and treated early on.
Traffic accidents involving multiple vehicles can result in a wide range of injuries, from mild to catastrophic. Injury severity may be more predictable in the case of single-vehicle accidents, but the force of a collision can be compounded by a higher number of involved vehicles.
Common injuries among multi-vehicle accidents include:
- Whiplash and soft-tissue injuries: Caused by the sudden jerking motion of the neck and spine during the collision
- Fractures and broken bones: Often a result of direct impact or being struck by debris
- Head and brain injuries: Concussions or more serious traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are common, especially when individuals are not wearing seat belts or when airbags malfunction
- Spinal cord injuries: These catastrophic injuries can lead to partial or complete paralysis
- Internal injuries: Blunt force trauma can lead to internal bleeding or organ damage, which are life-threatening conditions
In a multi-vehicle collision, determining the exact cause and liability of each individual injury can be highly complex. With the involved drivers or passengers being exposed to different risks depending on the position of each vehicle at the car accident scene and the manner in which the event unfolded, proving which party was at fault for each injury can require a significant amount of evidence and witness statements.
The involvement of several parties – each with his or her own vehicle, insurance company policy, passengers, and potential share of fault – means that a thorough investigation requires careful documentation, expert testimony, and perhaps even forensic analysis.
Your local Alberta personal injury lawyers can work with accident reconstruction specialists and other experts to give your claim the best chance of bringing you fair compensation. We want you to be able to cover your medical bills, whether by means of a personal injury lawsuit or insurance claim.
2. Emotional and Psychological Harm: The Hidden Toll of a Motor Vehicle Accident
Beyond physical harm, don’t forget that injuries can also have significant psychological impacts. Any car accident, even a relatively minor one, could be traumatic for you to experience.
Multi-vehicle accidents, in particular, can be severe and lead to difficult emotional and psychological problems for the people involved. While physical injuries are easier to identify and treat, the trauma resulting from such collisions is often overlooked or minimized.
Victims of multi-vehicle accidents may experience:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): The trauma of being involved in a multi-vehicle pile-up can lead to PTSD, which can manifest as anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, or severe distress at reminders of the motor vehicle accident. These symptoms may severely affect the individual’s quality of life and ability to function.
- Depression and anxiety: Chronic pain, financial uncertainty, or difficulty returning to work due to physical injuries sustained can contribute to feelings of helplessness, isolation, or depression. Additionally, the emotional strain of dealing with the insurance company, your medical appointments, and the stress of recovery can exacerbate anxiety.
- Survivor’s guilt: For those who escape the motor vehicle accident physically unscathed, feelings of guilt may arise, especially if others were seriously injured or killed in the same collision. These feelings can be particularly intense when what occurred was preventable.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: Severe injuries can affect not only one’s ability to work but also one’s ability to engage in daily activities and hobbies. This can lead to frustration, grief, and a sense of hopelessness, compounding the emotional toll of the motor vehicle accident.
The emotional recovery process can take as long as – if not longer than – physical recovery. Such a toll can significantly impact the victim’s ability to get back to his or her normal routine. Counselling may be necessary to help victims navigate both the emotional and legal complexities of a multi-vehicle collision – and the bills for therapy need to be paid.
3. Financial Problems: The Economic Burden of a Car Accident
One of the most challenging aspects of dealing with the aftermath of a multi-vehicle collision is the financial burden it creates. Even with insurance coverage, the costs associated with medical treatment, lost wages, and ongoing rehabilitation can quickly add up. If you are unable to return to work for months or years, you could find yourself in a precarious financial position due to the motor vehicle accident.
As unfair as these challenges may be, some of the following results of your multi-vehicle collision could impact your finances:
- Medical costs: Immediate emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries, and long-term rehabilitation can lead to a high total of medical bills. While Alberta’s public healthcare system provides coverage for many medical expenses, you could still be looking at out-of-pocket costs for physiotherapy, medications, or specialized treatments not covered by your province’s health plan.
- Lost wages: Depending on the severity of your injuries, you could lose a significant amount of income or even your earning potential if you are unable to return to your previous employment.
- Property damage: In a multi-vehicle accident, determining the cause of property damage and how it will be compensated can be complicated. You might be forced to pay out of pocket for repairs or vehicle replacement while the claims process is underway.
- Increased insurance premiums: Once you are involved in a multi-vehicle accident, your insurance premium can rise substantially, particularly if you are at fault. This financial burden can extend well into the future, adding to the long-term costs of the car accident.
You may feel overwhelmed by these challenges, which is understandable. While insurance company policies may cover some of your expenses, navigating the claims process can be frustrating, particularly if there is a dispute regarding fault or the extent of the injuries. Personal injury lawyers can help you meet this challenge to ensure that your medical bills and other financial problems are addressed by your car accident claim.
4. The Alberta Insurance Act: Limiting Your Ability to Sue After a Car Accident
Hiring a personal injury lawyer in Alberta is highly recommended for multi-vehicle accidents, as our province’s Insurance Act and “no-fault” insurance system limits the options you have for legal reparation.
For instance, under Alberta’s no-fault insurance system (to go into effect in 2027), anyone injured in a car accident must turn to his or her own insurance company for compensation first – regardless of who caused the accident. Even if you are not at fault for the car accident, your automobile insurance should help with your medical expenses, lost wages, and other costs associated with the car accident.
Though the no-fault system is meant to speed up the process of getting compensation, it will unfortunately limit your ability to sue other drivers involved in your car accident. Typically, you cannot sue the at-fault driver unless your injuries meet the specific thresholds defined by the Alberta Insurance Act.
What can you do if you were not at fault but have suffered significant emotional and physical trauma due to the car accident? In short, it may be possible for you to sue the at-fault driver for non-economic damages – such as pain and suffering – but it depends on the specifics of your case.
Under the no-fault law as defined by the Alberta Insurance Act, car accident victims will only be able to sue the at-fault driver if the case meets certain criteria, such as:
- Law violations: If the liable party in your case is convicted of a Criminal Code offence or certain Traffic Safety Act violations, such as DUI or distracted driving, then it may be possible for you to file a lawsuit against them.
- Serious injury: For you to pursue a claim for pain and suffering, your injury must be severe enough. Extensive medical evidence may be necessary to prove the severity and permanence of your condition.
- Minor Injury Regulation (MIR): For less severe injuries, the province has placed limits on how much compensation someone can receive for non-economic damages.
The above legal constraints mean that anyone not catastrophically injured may face significant challenges when seeking compensation for their pain, suffering, and other non-economic damages. Your insurance company may not cover all of your car accident expenses.
5. Liability: Determining Who Is At Fault
In order for you to identify who to file an insurance claim with or who you may sue in the first place, liability must be clearly established. The liable party is, in other words, to be held responsible for the car accident.
The fault determination rules outlined in Alberta’s Insurance Act set clear guidelines for assessing liability in auto accidents. According to these rules, for instance, when multiple vehicles are stopped and rear-ended, the driver of the last car in the sequence is deemed fully responsible for the collision.
However, if the first two or more vehicles of a chain reaction accident are moving when the rear-end crash occurs, the fault distribution changes. In this case, the driver of the last vehicle remains 100-percent responsible for striking the car ahead of him or her, but neither of the drivers of the first two cars in the sequence are at fault.
On the other hand, in the case of a pile-up, the driver of each vehicle is typically considered to be 50 percent at fault. There may be other scenarios in which fault may be assigned in even smaller increments, depending on the specifics of the car accident in question.
Don’t Wait for More Problems to Pile Up – Talk to a Car Accident Lawyer
While the challenges you face as the victim of a multi-vehicle accident in Alberta can feel insurmountable, please don’t give up without seeking advice. Call the lawyers of Grover Law Firm, where we handle cases like yours every day. Whether the cause of the accident was distracted driving, impairment, speeding, or something else, we can advise you on where to go from here to ensure that your rights, well-being, and financial status are protected.
With offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, and Yellowknife, along with Zoom or telephone consultations offered, we can talk with you at a time and place convenient for you – free of charge. We want to be able to rebuild your life and receive reasonable compensation so you can move on with your life from what has happened.
Talk to us before you run out of time to file your claim. Contact us online, give us a call, or shoot us a text – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – to speak to a car accident lawyer who wants to help you.