St. Louis Multi-Car Accident Lawyer
Multi-Car Accident & Pileup Lawyer
In a pileup, every insurance company has a reason to blame someone else. Craig J. Concannon investigates the order of impacts and makes sure you don't shoulder blame that isn't yours.
The Legal Complexity of a Pileup
Who's at fault when everyone is involved?
A multi-car accident, often called a "pileup," involves two or more vehicles. On busy Missouri highways these crashes create chaotic scenes, with physical injuries, emotional trauma and heavy property damage.
One of the biggest challenges, aside from recovering from your injuries, is figuring out exactly who is at fault. With several drivers and insurance companies involved, each one tries to shift the blame, and these cases can become complicated and drawn out.
Craig J. Concannon gathers the evidence to show what really happened and makes sure you are fairly compensated, especially when the crash wasn't your fault.
Reconstructing the crash
Damage patterns, vehicle data and dash-cam video show the order of impacts.
Assigning fault fairly
We make sure you don't take blame for other drivers' mistakes.
Claims against every insurer
We pursue each at-fault driver's insurance for its share.
Protecting your recovery
We use your underinsured coverage if other limits fall short.
Case Investigation
What causes chain-reaction crashes
In most pileups, more than one driver made a mistake.
Following too closely
Tailgating leaves no room to stop when traffic slows suddenly.
Speeding for conditions
Driving too fast for rain, fog, ice or heavy traffic.
Sudden braking
Unexpected stops can trigger a chain of rear-end impacts.
Distracted driving
Drivers looking at phones miss slowing traffic ahead.
Common Injuries
Common multi-car accident injuries
Being hit more than once, from more than one direction, can cause serious harm.
Who Pays
Who pays in a multi-car accident?
Because several drivers may share fault, compensation can come from several sources:
- Each at-fault driver's liability insurance which may pay a share based on that driver's percentage of fault.
- Your underinsured motorist coverage if the at-fault drivers' limits are not enough.
- Your uninsured motorist coverage if an at-fault driver had no insurance.
- A trucking company or employer if a commercial driver was involved.
How fault is divided in a pileup
- Missouri's pure comparative fault system lets a jury assign a percentage of fault to each driver.
- Each at-fault driver's insurance may be responsible for part of your damages.
- You can still recover even if you were partly to blame; your award is reduced by your percentage of fault.
- Crash reconstruction, vehicle data, dash-cam video and witness statements often decide who caused what.
After the Crash
What to do after a pileup
Get to safety
Stay in your vehicle if it's safer, turn on hazards and call 911.
Get medical care
Multiple impacts can cause injuries that show up later.
Document every vehicle
Photos of every car, its position and damage, plus each driver's information.
Talk to Craig first
With several insurers involved, don't give statements before getting advice.
Caught in a pileup? Talk to Craig today.
Free, confidential consultation. No attorney fee unless you recover.
Questions