Accidents involving multiple vehicles in Iowa can trigger complex principles of tort law
Cedar Rapids, IA – It is possible that a motor vehicle collision can involve three or more vehicles. There will likely be multiple insurance claims and lawsuits in the aftermath of these kinds of collisions. Attorneys who are experienced in this area of the law can use the principles of comparative or contributory negligence and other legal doctrines to help their clients succeed, even in situations where sorting out fault and related issues may seem confusing.
Negligence lawsuits
A negligence case is the most likely result after all motor vehicle collision cases. This simply means that a driver or business was not careful enough on the roads and caused some kind of tangible harm to one or more victims. If the plaintiff is successful, they can collect money related to things like property repairs, medical treatment, and lost wages and income.
Iowa’s modified contributory negligence law
Each driver involved can potentially file their own lawsuit against the others. Iowa uses a system of comparable fault where each driver involved in the accident can file a case, even if they partially contributed to the collision. They will be able to collect from the other defendants involved as long as their level of fault is not greater than the person who they are suing. When a plaintiff is partially at fault, they will have their damages reduced relative to their level of fault rather than losing the ability to sue altogether. Legal advice should be obtained to get more specific information about monetary amounts and related concerns based on the individual factors that contributed to the accident.
Joint and several liability
There is also a tort law doctrine called joint and several liability that is sometimes used in motor vehicle accident cases. Under this doctrine, sometimes one defendant is required to pay for all of the plaintiff’s damages, even if they would not be required to pay as much under standard negligence principles. This can be beneficial in situations where other defendants may not have insurance or any ability to actually pay out damages to the plaintiff, even when they are technically at fault. When a defendant is liable for damages in Iowa under a theory of joint and several liability, they cannot be forced to pay all of the victim’s damages for emotional pain and suffering.
Car accident lawyers are available in Iowa
Eells and Tronvold Law Offices is a firm that is experienced in all matters related to vehicle collisions and injury lawsuits. Potential clients in the state of Iowa have the option of speaking with an attorney at the firm to learn more about defending their rights.
Firm contact info:
Eells and Tronvold Law Offices
1921 51st Street NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402-2400
319-393-1020
www.eellsandtronvold.com
