Multi-Car Crash Results in Six Injuries
A serious wreck in Winslow Township has resulted in multiple injuries. The crash happened immediately before Monday morning rush hour on June 29th on Route 73 at Hayes Mill Road. It started when a Ford F250 driven by Anders Optiz, 19, sideswiped a Chevy van driven by Michael Nardello, 60. This caused the Ford to hit a Mini Cooper, driven by Joseph Duffy, 64, who remained trapped in the vehicle until he could be freed by emergency personnel. Duffy was airlifted to Cooper Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The Ford proceeded to hit a Honda Accord, which was then pushed into a Nissan Rogue, which had been at a stop at the time. The Rogue was pushed into the car stopped in front of it, a Nissan Versa. The Accord was driven by Ken Matthews, 39, and also held Michelle Santiago, 28, and a one-year-old child in the backseat. Matthews and Santiago were taken to Cooper Hospital by ambulance, while the infant was taken to Cooper hospital by helicopter, having suffered life-threatening injuries. The Rogue was driven by Dennis Conway, 53, who was transported along with Ortiz to Virtua Hospital with injuries unlikely to be fatal. The Versa’s occupants were uninjured. An investigation into the crash is ongoing, but so far, no charges have been filed.
A multi-car crash can involve very complex legal questions. With so many parties involved, it can be difficult to determine which driver is liable for the damage caused to a particular individual. In a multiple-vehicle accident where one vehicle rear-ended another, causing a chain reaction, frequently the initial rear-ending vehicle is found to be the at-fault party. However, it is possible that the middle car may have been negligent in some way and contributed to the accident, such as by failing to react in time to avoid being rear-ended. Additionally, if the initial vehicle that rear-ended a middle car was forced into the crash by a separate event, then that car may bear some responsibility for the crash. For example, in the case of the Route 73 accident, if the Chevy van was responsible for the F250 side-swiping it, then the Chevy driver may owe compensation for other drivers’ damages which resulted from the crash.
In cases where more than one party is responsible for harm that someone suffers, New Jersey courts will divide responsibility for the ensuing costs among those parties. This system is called “modified joint and several liability.” If a driver is less than 60% responsible for someone’s injuries, then that driver can be required to pay an amount equivalent to their percentage of responsibility for the victim’s injuries (i.e., if they were 20% responsible for an accident causing $10,000 in damage, they can be required to pay $2,000). However, a party who is more than 60% responsible for the damage caused can be held responsible to pay all of the victim’s damages.
Multiple car accidents can involve complex factual investigations and determinations of liability. If you or a family member have been hurt in a multi-car crash, consult an experienced car accident attorney to determine whether you may have a right to compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Contact the Wayne, New Jersey law firm of Massood Law Group for a free consultation on your claims, from anywhere in northern New Jersey and beyond. Call 1-844-MB-HURT.
