If you live in Philly, you’ll probably find a lot to like about it. Philly has excellent food and vibrant nightlife, but there are also many cultural opportunities you shouldn’t miss. You will also find passionate sports fans and some fantastic architecture.
If you drive in Philadelphia, you should keep your wits about you. It’s a major city, and if you cruise through Center City or South Philly with its narrow streets and alleyways, you can sometimes get into challenging situations that require expert driving to escape safely.
How to Navigate a Three-Way Accident’s Aftermath in Philadelphia
It shouldn’t surprise you that car accidents frequently happen in Philly, and some involve one-on-one vehicle crashes. However, you might also get in an accident with two other cars instead of one.
Who pays for damages in those instances? Let’s take a moment and talk about that.
Who Caused the Accident?
Three-way accidents in Philly happen fairly often; sometimes, they’re hard to sort out. The answer seems obvious enough if you ask who should pay for a three-way crash. The person responsible should pay. Figuring out who to blame is not always so easy, though.
If someone flies out of their lane for seemingly no reason and hits two other cars, they should pay for the damages. If a driver hits another couple of vehicles, and the cops give this person a breathalyzer that they fail, the drunk driver should pay the bill.
In other instances, though, it’s much harder to figure out who caused a crash, and you might find yourself standing in the street, arguing with two other drivers about who did what. If so, try to control your temper. Road rage incidents following a car crash sometimes end in violence, and you should do all you can to de-escalate the situation, even if you feel angry or upset.
Take a few deep breaths and wait for the police to arrive. If you need to, go back and sit in your car or on the curb while you wait for your adrenaline to stop flowing.
You Might Need an Accident Scene Reconstructionist
If three cars hit each other in Philly, and you’re not sure who caused the accident, you might face a lawsuit. Maybe one of the other drivers feels that you’re at fault.
You will likely need to hire a car crash lawyer if you disagree. You can find plenty of them in Philly, and you should hire an experienced one who knows how to navigate these tricky legal situations.
You must tell your lawyer what happened on the day or night in question. Try to fill them in on all the details and omit nothing. If you lie to your lawyer, that will not help you.
Sometimes, the three lawyers for the three drivers will meet beforehand to discuss the evidence. They might try to determine fault on their own. One attorney, or more, might have an accident scene reconstructionist who examines all the physical evidence and weighs in on who caused the accident.
After that initial meeting, your lawyer will get back to you. They will recommend an action based on what they uncovered. If they say they feel you didn’t cause the accident and you should take the case to trial, you might decide to do that.
The Facts Should Come Out in Court
If all three drivers end up in court because no one can agree beforehand on who caused the accident, you might have a long, drawn-out legal battle. It could take days or weeks. Your lawyer will probably use all the physical evidence they gathered to try to establish another driver’s guilt.
They might use eyewitness testimony if anyone other than the three drivers saw the collision. Your attorney might have a passenger take the stand if someone was in the car with you. Your lawyer might talk to the jury about the crash’s weather or other relevant factors.
How to Navigate a Three-Way Accident’s Aftermath in Philadelphia
In short, the facts should appear in the trial more often than not. During complex car crashes with several crucial factors, it’s sometimes almost impossible to determine guilt, but a jury will still hand down a verdict eventually.
You’d have to pay if they conclude you caused the accident, or you could collect money if another driver caused it. It’s also not impossible for a jury to say two of three drivers bear some blame for what occurred.