Multi-Car Accident Lawyers in South Carolina

The more vehicles that are involved in a crash, the more complicated the aftermath can be. Each additional driver makes the investigation more difficult, and each additional insurance policy makes the settlement-negotiation process more fraught.

If you’ve been in a crash involving three or more vehicles in South Carolina, you need an experienced multi-vehicle accident lawyer to advocate for you and fight for your fair share of the available compensation.

At The Melonakos Law Firm, we understand the unique challenges multi-vehicle and chain-reaction car accident victims face. Our knowledgeable multi-car accident lawyers have the skills and resources to thoroughly investigate what happened, and we have the tenacity and follow-through to demand that responsible parties pay you accordingly.

Contact us today for a free consultation with a multi-vehicle car accident lawyer in South Carolina, and let us help you seek the money you deserve.

What Is a Multi-Vehicle Crash and Why Are They More Complex?

A multi-vehicle crash involves three or more vehicles colliding, often in a sequence of impacts, often described as a chain reaction or pile-up. Multi-car accidents frequently occur on highways, at busy intersections, or during heavy traffic or adverse weather conditions.

Multi-vehicle crashes are typically more complex than single-vehicle or two-vehicle collisions for several reasons.

First, the multiple points of impact create complicated damage patterns that require careful analysis from crash reconstruction specialists to fully understand. The analysis is critically important for victims, as South Carolina’s laws concerning joint and several liability as well as comparative negligence require a precise determination of fault.

Relatedly, if there are several at-fault parties, there will be multiple insurance policies to sort through, and potentially several different victims seeking compensation from the same policies.

Challenges in Determining Liability in Complex Multi-Car Crashes

The greater complexity of multi-vehicle accidents also makes determining liability considerably more challenging. Some of the most common issues include:

• Conflicting witness statements
• Chain-reaction dynamics, which may make secondary crashes appear unrelated
• The potential role of adverse weather, construction, or poor road design
• Potential mechanical failures in any involved vehicle
• The possibility that several different drivers each behaved negligently

South Carolina follows modified comparative negligence rules, under which you can recover compensation so long as you are not more at fault for a multi-vehicle crash than are all other at-fault parties combined. However, your compensation will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you. That makes the determination of liability crucial for maximizing your recovery in a car accident claim.

Our lawyers are ready to investigate the crash that injured you to secure evidence that shows you were not at fault or only minimally to blame for the collision.

Common Causes of Multi-Vehicle Accidents in South Carolina

Multi-vehicle accidents in South Carolina frequently result from a combination of factors, such as:

• Distracted driving, including texting, talking on the phone, and other distractions
• Following too closely
• Excessive speed
• Failure to adjust driving for heavy traffic or poor weather conditions
• Improper lane changes 
• Driver fatigue 
• Impaired driving
• Road construction

The potential combination of these factors creates high-risk situations, particularly on busy highways like Interstate 85, Interstate 26, Interstate 385, and Interstate 185, where multi-vehicle pileups can involve dozens of vehicles during poor visibility or abrupt traffic slowdowns.

Types of Injuries from South Carolina Chain-Reaction Accidents

Multi-vehicle crashes often produce more severe injuries than two-car collisions because victims may experience multiple impacts from different directions. Examples of potential multiple-car accident injuries include:

• Traumatic brain injuries – Each additional impact increases the risk of concussions and more serious brain trauma.
• Spinal cord damage – The torsion force caused by several distinct points of impact can lead to vertebral fractures and nerve damage.
• Compound fractures – Broken bones may pierce the skin, requiring surgical repair.
• Internal organ injuries – Blunt-force trauma can damage vital organs, causing internal bleeding that may go unnoticed until symptoms become critical.
• Severe lacerations – Breaking glass and twisted metal can rip through skin and damage tissue beneath.
• Soft-tissue damage – Whiplash and other muscle or ligament injuries can severely affect mobility and cause chronic pain.
• Burn injuries – Vehicle fires can spread quickly in pile-up scenarios, causing severe burns.

Furthermore, the shock of experiencing a sudden, life-threatening pile-up can lead to PTSD and other anxiety disorders, which continue to affect victims even after their physical injuries have healed.

South Carolina Laws Affecting Multi-Vehicle Accident Claims

Several South Carolina laws directly affect how claims proceed when an accident involves multiple vehicles. One of the most important is the state’s modified joint and several liability law. Under this rule, a defendant who is less than 50 percent at fault for an accident is liable only for their share of fault, while a defendant who is more than 50 percent at fault for an accident can be held liable for the full cost of the accident.

In other words, if you’ve suffered $100,000 in losses because of the accident, you can hold a driver who’s 51 percent at fault liable for the entire $100,000. If four parties are each 25 percent to blame, though, each would only be responsible for $25,000 of your losses.

The same law also establishes a modified comparative negligence rule that will reduce your recovery in proportion to your share of fault. If you are found to be more than 50 percent to blame for the accident, you cannot recover any compensation at all. But, if, for example, you suffered $100,000 in losses and are found to be 25 percent to blame for the accident, the most you could recover at trial is $75,000.

How The Melonakos Law Firm Can Help After a Multi-Vehicle Accident

At The Melonakos Law Firm, we have over a decade of experience handling all types of South Carolina car accident cases. We know how to investigate crashes involving multiple vehicles, which starts by collecting and analyzing evidence from all the cars involved. We may also collaborate with accident reconstruction experts who can help establish the precise sequence of events leading up to the crash.

We appreciate that you have enough on your plate already at this challenging time, so we will handle all insurance communications and negotiations to seek the maximum possible compensation from every at-fault party. Founding attorney Michael Melonakos previously worked in insurance defense, which means he understands how insurers evaluate and fight multi-vehicle claims. It also means he knows how to fight back against their attempts to limit your payout or deny your claim.

While the aftermath of a multi-car accident can feel lonely and overwhelming, you do not have to go through the process alone. Let our experienced personal injury attorneys handle the insurance companies and the legal matters while you focus on healing.

Contact The Melonakos Law Firm today for a free consultation with our experienced South Carolina multi-car accident attorneys.