Chain collision: who is responsible?

Who is liable in the event of a chain collision with stationary or moving vehicles? What are the differences?

In everyday life they occur very often road accidents , where a driver due to carelessness or inexperience collides with another driver's vehicle. In these cases, the person who caused the damage must compensate the victim of the accident caused by his negligence.

But what happens, instead, in the case of a chain reaction collision? What does this expression mean? And above all, who will have to compensate for the damage?

We could all be involved in a pile-up, perhaps, while reaching the workplace or carrying out the most common daily activities using our car.

At this point, curiosity and the desire to protect yourself arise spontaneously: to know how to behave in such a case and who to attribute the responsibility to, all you have to do is continue reading this post.

What is meant by a chain reaction collision?

A chain collision is a road accident in which multiple vehicles collide simultaneously. The damage is concentrated in the front and rear of the vehicle. Imagine a chain and replace the image with cars all facing the same direction. Consequently, the damage can only occur in the front and rear.

It is possible to speak of a chain collision when there are at least three vehicles and they are travelling in the same direction.

At this point, we just have to clarify who is responsible in the event that we find ourselves in a chain reaction collision?

The general rule

From the study of art. 2054 of the civil code it is clear that in the event of a road accident the Drivers' responsibility It is assumed that it can be calculated in equal parts . The aforementioned article also specifies that the driver is obliged to compensate the injured party for the damage, if he does not prove that he has adapted all the necessary safety measures to avoid the damage.

What happens in the event of a chain collision with stationary vehicles?

There are various types of rear-end collisions, in this paragraph, we will deal with the possibility that the accident occurs stationary vehicle . In this case, an exception to the aforementioned general rule is foreseen, that is, to the presumption of equal responsibility.

It is a well-established principle of jurisprudence that the responsibility for a chain collision with stationary vehicles is attributed to the last vehicle present in the lane. You are surely wondering why? Well, this presumption of guilt is deduced from a very simple reasoning, which is the following: the The vehicle that arrives last , in relation to a lane of stationary vehicles, will consequently be the first to have impacted the second-to-last car and thus cause a chain of collisions.

However, let's not forget that the driver of a car must always maintain adequate distance of safety from the vehicle in front and try to avoid any road accident from occurring.

The presumption that weighs on the last vehicle is a presumption of fact that may be refuted by providing exculpatory evidence, thanks to which it will be possible to demonstrate that the event occurred for a cause not attributable to him.

Who pays in the event of a chain collision with moving vehicles?

In the event of a chain reaction collision with moving vehicles the legislator and the jurisprudence behave differently. Let's see together, what changes?

For this event the legislator refers again to the aforementioned general rule. The provisions of art. 2054 of the civil code come into play again. The responsibility for which falls on each of the drivers in equal parts.

A responsibility that is motivated by a possible disregard for the rules regarding the safety distance from the vehicle in front of us.

Even in this case, the interested party will be able to prove the contrary, providing evidence that the safety distance was respected and that the behavior was suitable to avoid any type of accident. The victim, as exculpatory evidence, could argue that the dynamics of the event did not allow, despite respecting the safety distance, to avoid the accident due to a particularly intense impact.

The safety distance

How important is it if we are in a tampon respect the safety distance? It is certainly a very important criterion. In fact, the Highway Code establishes that drivers must maintain an adequate safety distance from the vehicle in front. While driving, this will make it easier to avoid the possibility of collisions (art. 149 of the Highway Code).

Practical advice

In the event of a chain collision, it is particularly important to receive all the information about the driver and the vehicle involved. In the first case, we are assisted by the possibility of requesting a anagraphic tracing , thanks to which we will know the driver's personal data precisely. In the second case, however, a license plate check It will help us to easily find out all the technical information regarding the vehicle that caused the damage.

Usually, from the day the collision occurred until the payment of compensation for damages, a fairly long period of time can pass. What to do if the vehicle involved has been sold? It is possible to request a chronological historical certificate which will be important to know all the various changes of ownership.

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