Truck Accident Causes Multi-Vehicle Crash on I-37

According to a KSAT News report, a truck crashing into a sign pole and splitting in half caused separate accidents involving 4 other vehicles on I-37.

Police reported the accident happened right around 6 a.m. this morning on I-37 South near Fair Avenue. A white truck was caught on Transguide cameras crashing into a post that was holding up an overhead sign. Debris from the accident caused 4 other vehicles to crash in the Northbound lanes. Northbound lanes were cleared roughly 2 hours later, while the Southbound lanes were not reopened for 8 hours due to the structural damage to the sign. No major injuries have been reported.

Did You Know?

San Antonio is the 3rd most accident-prone city in Texas, behind Dallas and Houston.

Who Pays for Multi-Vehicle Accidents in San Antonio?

When two vehicles hit each other, figuring out whose fault the accident was is pretty straightforward. But, when you throw 3 or more vehicles into the mix, determining fault gets a little tricky.

You probably already know that who pays for an accident in Texas is the person who caused the accident. In multi-vehicle accidents, figuring out who caused and/or contributed to the crash is crucial in figuring out where compensation will come from.

Fault in Multi-Vehicle Accidents

There can be more than one liable party in a multi-vehicle accident.

Much of the fault will likely be placed on the person that caused the initial impact, but this isn’t always true. For example, if vehicle failure caused the car in front of you to suddenly stop on the highway and you hit them, you wouldn’t necessarily be to blame even though you caused the first impact. Vehicle failure could potentially involve manufacturing companies or repair shops in the mix, even though they weren’t directly involved in the accident.

Additionally, if the driver behind you could’ve avoided hitting you but was on their phone and didn’t see the accident in time, they could also be held partially responsible for the accident.

In simple terms, fault will be distributed based on each driver’s contribution to the accident. If you didn’t violate your duty of care in any way, then you won’t be legally responsible for a multi-vehicle accident. Proving that you didn’t do anything wrong is where it gets difficult.

Company/Commercial Vehicles in Multi-Vehicle Accidents

When 18-wheelers, company vehicles, and delivery drivers are in multi-vehicle accidents, liability becomes even more complicated.

Hypothetical Example:

Let’s say that a food delivery driver (GrubHub, DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc.) is about to miss their turn and swerve in front of you. You hit them, and the car behind you rams into you.

Liability in this case could hypothetically extend to:

• You,
• The driver behind you,
• The delivery driver,
• The company,
• The maintenance/repair company the delivery company uses,
• The manufacturer of any of the vehicles,
• And the government if poor signage contributed to the accident.

As you can see, these accidents become very complicated very quickly.

Learn more about commercial vehicle accidents.

Injured in a Multi-Vehicle Accident in San Antonio? Call Carabin Shaw.

When an accident involves more than two vehicles, it’s best that you hire expert help.

Carabin Shaw can help you determine liability with our team of expert investigators and litigators. We’ve represented multi-vehicle accident cases in San Antonio for more than 30 years. We’re a trusted name in San Antonio because we put our clients first. Call the team that cares for a free case evaluation at 800-862-1260 or use the live chat to get started. We look forward to serving you.

Contacting a Carabin Shaw attorney is free and does not obligate you to work with the firm.

¹KSAT Report