What you need to know if you’ve been involved in a massive pileup.

By Olga Blotnis

If you find yourself involved in a multiple vehicle collision, remember to:  stay calm, check for injuries and if necessary move your vehicle or get away from your vehicle.

If you do not require immediate medical attention, stay to cooperate with the responding police officer.  It is important to keep in mind that when talking to the police or anyone else, it is not wise to discuss your impressions or what you think somebody was doing or thinking. Stick to the facts pertaining to what you observed and experienced.  Keep your statements brief and to the point. Remember that collisions happen in a matter of seconds, not minutes.

When it comes to massive pile ups, it is very important to talk to a local personal injury attorney as soon as possible. There are multiple elements of your case that your attorney will need to be made aware of, for example:

• How did the chain of events start;
• Who contributed; and
• Who collided with your vehicle and whom did you collide with.

It is important to keep in mind:

• The Police are often too busy attending to injured people and preventing more people from getting injured to investigate or gather information to help your case;
• It can take months to investigate and the results may be inconclusive; and
• The best and fastest course of action is use your own insurance to cover your property damage and your medical treatment. Ensure that your insurance coverage is adequate to provide for your injuries and your vehicle damage. It is also advisable to carry Under/Uninsured Motorist Protection at the same coverage level as your liability insurance because the at fault party may not have insurance coverage sufficient to compensate everyone involved.

An experienced local attorney will navigate this maze for you, saving you time and unnecessary stress.