What should I do if I am involved in a multi-vehicle accident?

A multi-car accident occurs when more than two vehicles are involved in a crash. These types of accidents often prove particularly dangerous: They’re more likely to result in passenger injuries, can create greater damage to vehicles, and often occur on busy streets or highways.

These accidents can be head-on collisions, rear-end collisions that push your vehicle into another car, side impacts that crash multiple vehicles at an intersection, and more.

If you’ve been involved in such an incident, you may be asking yourself, “What should I do if I am involved in a multi-vehicle accident?” Each accident can affect liability insurance differently, but this depends in part on the types of car insurance coverage you have. Here’s what you should keep in mind.

First Steps if You Are Involved in a Multi-Vehicle Accident

Because of the dangers involved with a multiple-vehicle crash, safety is more important than ever. Shock, surprise, and fear are common first reactions, but you should try to stay as calm as possible.

Presuming you have already met or exceeded your state’s car insurance requirements, try not to worry about such details and keep these priorities in mind:

• Check everyone in your vehicle for injuries.
• Stay buckled in, and make sure all passengers in your vehicle keep their seatbelts on as well.
• Call the police or other emergency services if you are able.
• In most cases, don’t exit the vehicle until emergency services arrive, not even to help others. Getting out into a busy street or highway can be very dangerous until the area has been blocked off.
• If possible, turn on the hazard lights on your vehicle.

Keeping these steps in mind will help keep you safe during particularly bad accidents.

Important Information on What to Do if You Are Involved in a Multi-Vehicle Accident

Once emergency services have arrived and begun to help, there are several other important steps to take that will help your insurance claim later on. It’s all right to be shaken and nervous after a multi-car accident, but do the best you can with steps like these:

• Make quick notes about what happened, including the sequence of events and the vehicles involved. Be as accurate as you can. Just some quick notes on a phone app can be invaluable later.
• Take photos of the accident and cars involved from multiple angles if possible.
• Ask for a copy of the police report when law enforcement documents the accident.
• Try to get insurance and contact information for other vehicles involved, or at least make a record of their license plates and vehicle models.
• When you are able, contact your insurance company. Most have a website form you can quickly fill out with the time and location of the accident, plus a few more details about what happened. Start your claim process as quickly as you can.

After getting into contact with your insurance company and filing a claim, safely store the information you have collected. You don’t have to worry about submitting it right away.

Take care of the immediate details now, and you should be able to look up your claim online and electronically upload the data you’ve gathered at a later time. Your car insurance company will contact you with more information.

Case Studies: What to Do if You Are Involved in a Multi-Vehicle Accident

Case Study 1: Rear-End Collision With Multiple Vehicles

Sarah was driving on a busy highway when traffic suddenly came to a halt. The car behind her failed to stop in time, causing a chain reaction of rear-end collisions involving multiple vehicles.

Sarah quickly called 911 to report the accident and checked for any serious injuries. Once she ensured her safety, she took photos of the crash scene, documenting the damage to her car and the vehicles involved. These photos would later serve as evidence for her multi-car insurance claim.

Case Study 2: Intersection Side Impact Collision

John was driving through an intersection when another driver ran a red light and crashed into his car. The impact caused a chain reaction, involving several other vehicles at the intersection.

John immediately dialed 911 to report the accident and checked himself and others for injuries. While waiting for emergency services to arrive, he took photos of the scene, capturing the positions of the vehicles and any visible damage. These photos would be essential when filing his multi-car insurance claim.

Case Study 3: Head-On Collision on a Two-Way Road

Mike was driving on a narrow two-way road when an oncoming vehicle swerved into his lane, resulting in a head-on collision. The force of the impact caused additional vehicles to collide in the aftermath.

Mike remained calm and called 911 for emergency assistance. He ensured the safety of himself and others involved, taking note of any injuries. Although shaken, Mike managed to document the crash scene by taking photographs of the damaged vehicles and the overall accident site. These photos would be crucial evidence when filing his multi-car insurance claim.

Final Thoughts on What to Do if You Are Involved in a Multi-Vehicle Accident

While car insurance companies vary, many prefer to work with specific auto repair shops in their network. If your vehicle can be repaired, you may want to look up which nearby auto shops are in your insurer’s program and which accept towed vehicles to make the transition to repairs easier.

When you receive an estimate from a participating auto shop, they can often send it directly to the insurer as well. If you are worried about how your insurance covers major repairs, be sure you look into how much car insurance you need before you’re faced with such a situation.