Multi-Vehicle Collision Lawyer in Houston

Three cars involved in an accident on a city street

Crashes involving more than one or two cars are a significant concern in Houston and across the state of Texas. Many victims can suffer severe injuries when multi-vehicle pileups occur on freeways, highways, roads, and streets.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently signaled its concern about growing traffic fatalities from multi-vehicle collisions. According to its data, the annual rate of deaths in multi-vehicle crashes increased by 16 percent year over year.

Not only are such accidents particularly dangerous, but they can also be considerably more complicated to investigate, making it harder for injured parties to get the compensation they need for their medical bills, lost income, pain, suffering, and other losses.

If you were injured in a multi-vehicle crash in Houston or anywhere else in Texas, you need an experienced and determined multi-vehicle accident attorney who will work to hold the at-fault drivers accountable. For over 25 years, The Callahan Law Firm has represented injured people in Houston and throughout the state. Our attorneys have secured tens of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for them. Let us put our experience and skill to work for you.

What Is a Multi-Car Accident?

While a multi-vehicle accident is technically any collision between two or more vehicles, the term is often used to describe collisions involving more than two vehicles to distinguish them from comparatively less complicated two-vehicle crashes. Sometimes called a chain-reaction accident, multi-vehicle crashes usually begin with an initial impact that sets off a series of subsequent collisions.

How Do Multi-Vehicle Crashes Happen?

Multi-vehicle accidents can happen for any number of reasons but most often result from someone acting negligently or recklessly. Some of the most common causes of multi-vehicle collisions include:

Following too closely
Distracted driving
Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Failure to yield, stop or signal properly
Disobeying traffic signs or signals
Driving at an unsafe speed
Fatigued driving
Roadway hazards
Inclement weather
Vehicle malfunctions

How Common Are Multi-Vehicle Car Crashes?

According to NHTSA, 19,777 fatal multi-vehicle crashes happened in one recent year compared to 23,138 fatal single-vehicle crashes. The agency defines a multi-vehicle crash as any collision involving more than one vehicle.

Moreover, some of the worst multi-car pileups in history have happened right here in Texas:

December 1994 – As many as 70 vehicles, including three semi-trucks, collided on I-35 near San Antonio due to slick roads and blinding glares. While no one was killed, dozens of people were injured.
November 2012 – On Thanksgiving morning 2012, heavy fog and high speeds contributed to a 150-vehicle pileup on a highway in Jefferson County. Two people were killed, and 100 were injured.
February 2021 – Freezing rain resulted in a 135-vehicle crash on I-35 near Fort Worth. Six people died, and at least 65 people were injured. It is remembered as the worst traffic pileup in Texas history. The path of destruction spanned over 1.5 miles.

Common Types of Multiple-Vehicle Accidents in Houston

Accidents involving multiple vehicles can be grouped into a number of categories, such as:

Rear-end collisions – When a driver rear-ends the car in front of them in traffic, that car can be pushed into the next vehicle in front of it, setting off a chain reaction of subsequent collisions.
Intersection collisions – An accident in an intersection may cause additional collisions as other vehicles cannot avoid the disabled cars. Intersection collisions may lead to T-bone collisions, head-on collisions, or rear-end collisions.
Jackknife collisions – Semi-trucks and other articulated vehicles can jackknife, leading to serious multi-vehicle collisions. Jackknifing occurs when the towing vehicle and its trailer move in different directions, hinging at the point where the tractor and trailer connect. Drivers of jackknifing vehicles often lose control of their trailers, increasing the risk that they could collide with adjacent vehicles and result in a multi-vehicle pileup.
Sideswipe and swerve collisions – The force of a side-impact collision between two vehicles can send them careening into adjacent lanes, where they can hit additional vehicles, potentially leading to a pileup.

Determining Liability for Damages Caused by a Multi-Vehicle Car Crash

Generally, the driver whose actions are found to have caused a car accident is liable for compensating others who are injured in the collision. However, multiple drivers can be partially at fault for an accident. The more drivers involved in a multi-vehicle crash, the more complicated determining liability can be. Typically, the driver who triggered the first collision that set off the multi-vehicle accident is the most liable. However, anyone whose actions contributed to the crash could also be partially liable.

Under Texas’s comparative fault law, multiple parties can share fault for an accident. However, if a driver who is injured in a crash is found to be more than 50 percent at fault for the accident, that driver generally cannot recover compensation for their injuries and associated losses.

Determining liability in a multi-vehicle crash can be complicated. That’s why you should hire a highly experienced multi-car wreck lawyer to conduct the necessary investigation, determine everyone who could be responsible, and fight to hold the negligent drivers, companies, and insurance carriers accountable for what happened.

How Our Attorneys Can Help After a Multi-Car Accident

After a multi-car accident, you must act quickly to protect your rights and interests. The multiple-vehicle collision lawyers at The Callahan Law Firm can help manage your case so you can focus on healing from your injuries. Once you hire our firm, our multi-car pileup lawyers will get to work by:

Gathering evidence including photos and videos
Interviewing other drivers involved in the accident for their version of events
Locating additional evidence that may be critical to determining liability, such as surveillance videos, measurements from the scene of the crash, and electronic data
Consulting with crash experts to reconstruct the sequence of events related to the collision(s), download electronic data from vehicles involved, and more
Quantifying your economic and non-economic losses
Negotiating with insurance companies to reach a fair settlement that compensates you for your losses
Fighting for your rights in court by filing a lawsuit and presenting your case to a jury if a settlement cannot be reached that is acceptable to you

Contact Our Experienced Houston Multi-Vehicle Accident Lawyer

If you were injured in a multi-vehicle accident in Houston, its surrounding areas, or anywhere in the state of Texas, The Callahan Law Firm has the legal team you need to hold the at-fault drivers and their insurance companies responsible for your injuries and damages. Our multi-car wreck lawyers understand how devastating and debilitating injuries from multi-car crashes can be. That is why we will fight hard for your rights and interests.