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Am I liable if I hit the car in front of me after I was rear-ended by another driver?
Am I liable if I hit the car in front of me after I was rear-ended by another driver?
Under the law, if another car rear-ends you and you end up hitting the car in front of you, then the driver who rear-ended you is liable for the accident. Because chain reaction accidents involve multiple drivers, bringing an insurance claim or a lawsuit can be challenging.
In your case, the front driver may choose to sue both you and the driver who rear-ended you. The front driver may not be sure which vehicle is liable for his damages. If the court determines that the last car and the middle car are responsible for the lead car’s damages, both drivers must compensate the lead car driver. The at-fault drivers must share the total damages; however, the court assigns each one a percentage of liability based on how much fault they contributed to the accident.
When the lead driver sues the middle and rear drivers, the middle car driver may assert that they are not responsible because the last car pushed them into the lead car. The middle car driver may file a crossclaim against the last car driver, which is a lawsuit between the middle and last car drivers within the original lawsuit. If the middle car driver wins their crossclaim but is found liable to pay the lead car in the main lawsuit, the last car driver is responsible for paying middle car driver’s percentage of fault to the victim driver.
Other Car Accident FAQs:
- Am I liable if I hit the car in front of me after I was rear-ended by another driver?
- Can I sue after a car accident if I was not wearing my seat belt?
- Do I have to call the police after a car accident?
- Do I need a car accident attorney?
- Does South Carolina use a fault-based system for car accidents? What does that mean for someone involved in an auto accident?
- How is fault determined in South Carolina?
- How long do I have to file a car accident claim?
- How many car accidents occur in South Carolina each year?
- How many fatal car accidents happen in South Carolina each year?
- What compensation can I get after a car accident?
- What do I do if I am in a car accident and the at-fault driver does not have insurance?
- What do I do if my damages are more than the insurance policy limits of the at-fault driver who hit me in a car accident?
- What do I need to know about my South Carolina accident report?
- What does comparative fault mean when it relates to a South Carolina car accident?
- What should I do after a car accident?
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