Michigan Injury Lawyer Blog

A 21-year-old man sustained critical injuries after the car he was a passenger in crashed into a tree on South Hayford Avenue in Lansing. The 20-year-old female driver was arrested on DUI charges. The story poses a series of interesting questions. Who is liable for damages if you were a passenger in a car? Can the unfortunate young man sue his friend for damages? What happens in a multiple-vehicle crash?

Who can you sue if you were in the car with the driver who caused the accident?

Each case is unique and your first step should be to contact a knowledgeable Lansing car accident lawyer. 

Multi-vehicle accidents often occur on highways or other roadways with many vehicles closely packed together. When multiple vehicles are involved in a crash, establishing causation can be a difficult task. In bumper-to-bumper traffic, a rear-end crash can cause one vehicle to push forward and rear-end the vehicle in front of it. On other occasions, a single vehicle may suffer damage from an initial accident that worsens after a second accident. In these situations, it can be hard to determine who is at fault for the accident.

As a recent news article reported, a 3-vehicle crash involving a semi-truck left one woman dead and four people injured in Cass County, Michigan. The deceased was slowing down on the highway to make a turn when another driver crashed into the back of her vehicle. Then, a semi-truck also crashed into the deceased’s car, pushing her car into oncoming traffic. She was pronounced dead at the scene. As a result of the semi-truck crash, the other car veered off the road and rolled onto its side. The driver and three passengers were hospitalized for their injuries.

What are the Causes of a Multi-Vehicle Accident?

Various factors may contribute to a multi-vehicle accident. For example, a driver could be distracted or even be driving under the influence. This initial act of carelessness could set off a chain of accidents, particularly on a busy roadway. At the same time, not all multi-vehicle accidents result from a driver’s carelessness. Inclement weather, unsafe road conditions, or a lack of proper traffic signs can all contribute to the likelihood of a multi-vehicle accident.

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Wrong-way accidents occur when a vehicle crosses into the opposite lane and veers into oncoming traffic, colliding with a vehicle traveling in the other direction. Last year, at least 421 crashes in Michigan occurred as a result of someone driving the wrong way on a divided road. Nationally, fatalities resulting from wrong-way accidents have been on the rise. As AAA reports, wrong-way accidents often result in head-on collisions, which can be especially dangerous for drivers and passengers.

A recent news article detailed a wrong-way accident that left three people dead in Iron Mountain, Michigan. A car was traveling in the northbound lane of a local roadway when it suddenly crossed into the southbound lane and struck another car. The other driver tried to brake, but he sadly could not avoid the collision. Both drivers died at the scene, along with one passenger. The other passengers, a woman and two children, were transported to the hospital for their injuries. One of the children was in critical condition. Police are continuing to investigate the crash, but they believe speed was a contributing factor.

What Are the Most Common Causes of a Wrong-Way Accident?

Many different factors can lead to a wrong-way accident. First, drivers may be distracted. They may be talking on the phone or texting while driving, both of which result in drivers paying too little attention to the road in front of them. Second, a driver who is speeding might veer into the opposite lane at a high speed. In this scenario, even if a driver sees another car approaching from the opposite direction, they may not have time to swerve out of the way before a head-on collision occurs. Excessive speeding can cause a driver to lose control of the car more easily, leading to a deadly wrong-way crash. Finally, drivers may travel into the wrong lane if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. According to the AAA, driving under the influence increases a person’s odds of being a wrong-way driver. Driving under the influence means an intoxicated driver becomes a danger to everyone else on the road.

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Too often, car accidents involving large trucks can be fatal. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s most recent data, nearly 46,000 large trucks were involved in crashes leading to injuries in 2020. During that same year, there were 4,842 fatal crashes involving large trucks. Among the fatal crashes involving large trucks, the critical event that led to 63 percent of the crashes was another vehicle in or approaching the large truck’s lane.

A recent news article reported that a driver was killed in an accident involving a box truck in Ray Township, Michigan. After the two vehicles collided, the Corvette driver crashed into an electrical pole on the side of the road. The truck driver did not suffer any injuries, but the Corvette driver was killed.

When Can You Sue Employers for Employees’ Actions in Michigan?

Under Michigan law, an employer can be held liable for an employee’s actions following an accident using a legal concept known as respondeat superior or vicarious liability. To establish vicarious liability, a plaintiff must show that the employee works for the defendant and acted within the scope of his employment during the accident. Acting within the “scope of employment” means, in part, conducting some activity during the employee’s designated working hours that ultimately benefits the employer’s business. By contrast, an employer could escape liability if its employees committed negligent acts beyond the scope of employment, such as using an employer-issued vehicle for unauthorized personal trips. Under Michigan law, this rule applies even if the accident occurs during normal working hours, so long as the employee is not completing a task to benefit the employer’s business.

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Multi-vehicle accidents can result in a chain of injuries, along with considerable property damage. In particular, truck accidents can lead to especially severe injuries due to the size and weight of a typical truck. As a recent truck accident in Michigan illustrates, a head-on truck collision involves significant force, often leading to devastating high-impact crashes.

According to a recent news article, two people were injured following a head-on truck collision in Paw Paw Township, Michigan. The three-vehicle collision occurred on Highway 51 when a pickup truck driver traveling northbound sideswiped a semi-truck going southbound. After crossing the centerline, the pickup truck driver then collided head-on with a southbound box truck. The drivers of the pickup truck and box truck were taken to the hospital for their injuries.

Establishing fault in a truck accident can raise several issues. First, a driver may be borrowing another person’s truck to transport his or her personal items. In this scenario, Michigan law would assign liability to the truck owner for the truck driver’s actions. In other words, a person who suffers injuries from a motor vehicle accident can sue the vehicle’s owner, even if the owner was not driving at the time of the accident. Conversely, the owner is not liable unless he or she knows or permits someone else to drive the vehicle. However, if the driver at the time of the injury is the owner’s spouse or immediate family member, Michigan law presumes that the owner knew and consented to the use of his or her vehicle. If a plaintiff sues the owner and the driver who borrowed the owner’s truck, the plaintiff can only recover one sum from all defendants. For example, if the plaintiff sues for $50,000 in damages, they can recover a total of $50,000 from all defendants, rather than $50,000 from each defendant.