Car accidents are always dangerous, and victims can sustain serious or even fatal injuries when collisions occur. Victims of collisions often have the right to pursue a claim against those responsible for causing the accident to occur, and New York City motor vehicle accident attorneys can provide representation to victims who need assistance determining if they have a case and who need assistance determining who to hold accountable.
While accident claims are often complicated, especially if injuries were serious or fatalities occurred, some of the accidents that are most likely to be dangerous and that are most likely to cause controversy regarding their cause are chain reaction accidents. A chain reaction accident occurred just recently in Manhattan, causing injury to six people and illustrating why chain reaction crashes can be riskier – and have more complicated aftermaths – than other types of collisions.
Understanding the Issues Raised by Chain Reaction Accidents
NBC New York reported on the recent chain reaction accident that occurred. The incident happened in lower Manhattan near the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Nassau and Liberty Streets in the financial district. It occurred on a Thursday afternoon. While police initially thought that the incident was caused by road rage, further investigation revealed that the accident was likely not intentional, so the investigators were still trying to determine a specific crash cause.
The accident happened when a livery cab crashed into at least two other cars, hopping a curb and plowing into a crowd of pedestrians. A preliminary investigation into the accident revealed that a Lincoln hit a gray Ford Explorer, and the Ford explorer was pushed into a bicyclist. The Lincoln then traveled almost one block east, rear-ending a Mercedes SUV before coming onto the sidewalk. Two pedestrians were hurt on Liberty and Broadway and another was hit and injured when the car came to a stop on the sidewalk. The driver of the livery cab was also hurt. All of the victims were expected to survive, but head and leg injuries were reported.
Among the complexities associated with investigating the accident is the fact multiple vehicles were involved in the incident, making the accident a chain reaction accident. Chain reaction accidents are common and involve multiple vehicles becoming involved in an accident because of one initial catalyst. For example, these types of accidents are especially common on highways where there is a lot of traffic. One car might rear-end another, pushing the rear-ended car into a third car. Other cars behind the accident may be unable to stop, leading to a series of related collisions.
Because multiple people are typically involved in chain reaction accidents, the risk of injuries to at least some of those involved is substantial. In many cases, it can also be difficult to sort out what was the catalyst for the accident and who was to blame. Those who are injured or whose loved ones are killed in a chain reaction accident should reach out to New York City motor vehicle accident attorneys to get help determining who is to blame and pursuing a case for compensation.