One third of car accidents in the United States involve more than two vehicles. Determining liability in these accidents is complicated because of the increased number of variables involved. In this article, personal injury attorneys Glenn and Robin Herman, Bronx car accident attorneys discuss the causes, injuries, and injuries involved in multi-car accidents, as well as determining liability.

Common Causes of Multi-Car Accidents

Some of the most common causes of highway pile ups include:

• Tailgating. Tailgating is the dangerous act of one car following another too closely. Unfortunately, it’s a major cause of multi-car accidents, particularly on highways, where high speeds and close proximity multiply the risks. This is because tailgating reduces the stopping distance between cars, resulting in a chain reaction if one car suddenly brakes or swerves.

• Speeding. Similarly, one or multiple cars driving too fast and not giving themselves or other cars adequate stopping distance increases chances of sudden braking, which can lead to multiple cars being involved in the collision.

• Driver fatigue. Fatigued drivers can cause multi-car pile ups by taking more risks behind the wheel, such as speeding or changing lanes without checking their blind spot. In worst-case scenarios, a drowsy driver may fall asleep, drift into another lane, and collide with oncoming traffic, leaving no time to avert disaster.

• Low road visibility. Multi-car pile ups often result from poor visibility. If drivers can’t see the road clearly, they may not react in time when conditions get dangerous, leading to collisions with other vehicles. Factors contributing to poor visibility are weather conditions, inappropriately-adjusted headlights, and even sun…