Traffic can become congested very quickly in and around New Orleans, which increases the risk for a chain reaction crash. It only takes one driver to be driving too fast for the conditions or to be distracted to cause a multi-vehicle accident. Unfortunately, chain reaction crashes are not always fender-benders. Traumatic injuries and fatalities have resulted from multi-vehicle accidents.

If you are involved in a chain reaction car crash, you need a New Orleans car accident attorney to file your claim. With multiple vehicles and drivers involved in the collision, you have multiple insurance companies involved. Each insurance company is trying to protect itself by reducing the amount of liability it has for the crash. The last thing the insurance company wants to do is pay all the claims from the various crashes. Therefore, you need a team of legal professionals and lawyers on your side protecting your best interests against competing insurance providers.

What Should You Do If You Are in a Chain Reaction Car Accident?

You must remain at the accident scene until police have arrived and told you that you may leave. Even if your car did not receive much damage, it is illegal to leave the scene of an accident if you are involved in the collision. Do not attempt to leave your vehicle unless you know for sure that traffic behind the accident scene has come to a complete stop for several hundred feet. Drivers approaching the scene could strike a car in the rear causing another chain reaction of vehicles slamming into each other.

If you do exit your vehicle, you need to quickly make your way to a safe location on the side of the road as far away from the vehicles as possible. Bystanders have been injured and killed by other drivers when standing beside an accident scene. Therefore, you must use extreme caution and consider all factors before deciding which option is safest given the circumstances at the accident scene.

If it is safe to leave your vehicle, take as many pictures as possible of the crashes. You need photographs of all vehicles involved, the position of the vehicles, and any other relevant evidence. Also, talk to as many eyewitnesses as possible to get their names and contact information. However, avoid making any statements yourself, especially saying you are sorry. Remember, anything you say can be used by another driver to claim you are at fault.

Contact a New Orleans Accident Attorney

Being involved in a chain reaction car accident is a serious matter. Your health must come first; however, you also need to retain an attorney as quickly as possible.

As discussed above, multiple insurance providers will be involved in the investigation. Each company may attempt to blame other drivers to avoid liability. You could receive calls from multiple adjusters requesting statements. Do not provide any statements until you meet with one of our lawyers. If your story changes even the slightest, that could be a potential problem for your claim.

Call Attorney Fred Olinde of The Olinde Firm at (504) 587-1440 or 1-800-587-1889 to request a free consultation with a New Orleans accident attorney.