Oregon Injury Lawyer Blog
The laws of physics tell us, among other things, that the force an object exerts equals its mass times its acceleration. That equation reminds us that faster-moving vehicles (and large, heavy vehicles) exert the most force in collisions. Those crashes often are the most damaging. If you’ve lost a loved one in a highway crash, your family likely has many needs that potentially involve the justice system. As you seek to hold wrongdoers accountable and obtain vital compensation that your family needs, an experienced Oregon auto accident lawyer can provide crucial advice and representation as you seek to accomplish these essential objectives.
In the past two weeks, Interstate Highway 5 in Oregon has been the site of multiple fatal crashes. The more recent of the pair illustrates some important truths about highway crashes.
Last week, a stretch of I-5 located about 25 miles south of Portland was the site of a multi-vehicle collision. According to the state police, the driver of a Volkswagen compact sedan slammed into the rear of a Dodge pickup truck “at highway speeds.” The driver of a Nissan sedan then hit the truck, as well. This pair of high-speed crashes sent the northbound truck spinning into the southbound lanes, hitting a Ford pickup truck.
The Volkswagen driver suffered serious injuries and the driver of the Ford truck died at the scene.
Crashes like this highlight the importance of having diligent legal counsel to do the thorough, detail-oriented investigation you need but probably cannot accomplish on your own. The news reports stated that the Dodge struck the deceased driver’s truck after getting hit by two cars – the Volkswagen and the Nissan. Official statements seemed to indicate that the primary, if not sole, cause of the crash was the Volkswagen rear-ending the Dodge.
Sometimes, though, police reports do not always tell the whole story. An in-depth investigation might reveal a fuller picture. Say, in an accident just like this one, crash-scene evidence showed that the driver of the second car delayed in hitting their brakes. That information might lead to further investigation regarding whether that driver was speeding, distracted, or impaired.
The Many Permutations of Chain-Reaction Crashes
Other chain-reaction crashes may present different but equally important “mysteries” that a proper investigation can help solve. Take, as an example, a fatal four-vehicle highway rear-ender that involves four drivers who encountered suddenly stopped traffic. The possibilities in this scenario are numerous. If the evidence shows that drivers A, B, and C each stopped successfully and driver D (the furthest in the rear) slammed into C, pushing them into B and B into A, those facts might indicate that D was solely liable for the damages caused. However, imagine a different crash where the highway was experiencing fog and drivers B, C, and D were all going too fast for the conditions, and where B hit A, then C hit B, and D hit C. In that hypothetical, the evidence could establish that B, C, and D all were responsible.
Additionally, some people or entities may be indirectly liable. If the at-fault driver in a fatal chain-reaction crash was behind the wheel of someone else’s car. The law potentially allows those who suffered harm to hold the vehicle owner accountable for negligently entrusting their car to the driver who caused the crash. Also, if an at-fault was engaged in an activity for the benefit of their employer, the employer might be legally liable under the theory of vicarious liability.
These details often matter in a crash like this one. The deceased driver was a young man (only 31,) meaning he had decades of prime earning capacity ahead of him. He left behind a partner and four children. Obtaining proper compensation for financial losses from his lost earnings along with the harm the emotional toll took on his family could mean a large sum of compensation. When seeking a large amount of damages, identifying all responsible parties (and their relative portions of liability) is frequently crucial.
After losing a loved one in a highway crash, your family faces many challenges. As your family works to heal, rely on the thoughtful and diligent Oregon auto accident attorneys at Kaplan Law LLC. Or team is keenly attuned to the reality that each client’s case involves a legal side and a personal side, and attending to both is essential to proper representation. To learn more, call (503) 226-3844 today or contact us online to set up your free consultation and discuss how we may assist you.
