Multiple Crashes Close I-75 in Laurel County Kentucky:Can More than One Party be Responsible for Causing a Car Wreck?
In the morning of December 6, 2022, multiple crashes were reported in Laurel County Kentucky that caused northbound I-75 to be closed for about an hour. At this time, there is no indication of how the accident happened or whether anyone was injured as a result.
Can more than one party be responsible for causing a car wreck?
Sometimes, when there are multiple crashes together, there is not just one person who is at fault in the accident. In that case, the liability can be shared by multiple parties. In Kentucky, we have a liability concept called “pure comparative negligence” and it means simply that you are entitled to the percentage of your damages that equal the percentage you were not at fault in the accident. For instance, if your claim for pain and suffering is worth $10,000.00 and you were determined to be 25% responsible for causing the accident, then you would be entitled to $7,500.00 from the at-fault party. It also means that the person who is 75% at-fault can make a claim against you for the 25% of fault attributable to you.
If the liability insurance company takes the position that you are at least partially responsible for the cause of an accident, that should never prevent you from resolving your claim if you receive a reasonable offer. In resolving thousands of auto accident claims during my 36+ years as a car accident lawyer, I have learned not to get hung up over a minor dispute on liability if you receive a fair offer of settlement. The most important objective is obtaining a good settlement offer and not winning the case by establishing yourself as not responsible for the accident.
There are auto accident claims where more than one person may be at fault in the accident and yet the injured victim is not at fault. You will then have to make a claim against both the culpable parties and hope they can resolve the percentage of liability that each is responsible for in your accident. Sometimes the two at fault insurance companies may have a hard time resolving the liability issue between themselves and you will have to go through a lawsuit to resolve the matter. I had one case where the insurance company for the 2 at fault parties was the same insurance company - Liberty Mutual. Even though Liberty Mutual would have to pay the entire damages they could not agree among themselves how to split it. A lawsuit had to be filed and several months later they managed to come to their senses.
Contact Kentucky Car Accident Lawyer
These circumstances will require the services of an experienced Kentucky auto accident attorney to investigate and locate all available evidence to determine liability and to maximize all benefits available to anyone injured in this auto accident. Matthew Troutman, Kentucky auto accident lawyer, of the Troutman Law Office has been handling auto accident claims, almost exclusively, since 1986 and has the experience and talent to obtain the best result for the victims in the above car accidents. It is very likely that the at fault driver will not have enough insurance to fully compensate the victim’s estate, and, therefore, it will be important for there to be underinsured motorist benefits available.
If you need legal assistance due to a motor vehicle accident, contact Kentucky auto accident attorney Matthew Troutman directly at 859-696-0001 or 502-648-9507 and he will meet with you in the hospital, your home or wherever is convenient for you. He will give you direct access through his cell phone and guide you through the difficult process necessary to obtain the best result possible for you in your car accident claim. To learn more about the Troutman Law Office, click here.