A serious five-vehicle crash on Interstate 78 in New Jersey recently highlighted how quickly one collision can turn into a multi-vehicle chain-reaction accident.

According to a Patch report, New Jersey State Police responded to the crash onI-78 East in Union Township after an International box truck struck the rear of a Nissan SUV. Police said the Nissan then struck a GMC SUV, the GMC struck a Jeep SUV, and the Jeep struck a Honda passenger vehicle. A 44-year-old Hudson County man who was riding in the Nissan died from his injuries. Other motorists were also injured.

The crash remained under investigation when it was reported, and this article does not suggest which driver or drivers may ultimately be found legally responsible.

But crashes involving several vehicles raise an important question for New Jersey motorists: Who is liable when one collision triggers a chain reaction involving multiple cars?

The answer can depend on the sequence of impacts, the actions of each driver, and the evidence available after the accident.

If you were injured in a multi-vehicle accident in New Jersey, speaking with an experienced NJ car accident lawyer can help you understand how liability, insurance coverage, and New Jersey's comparative negligence rules may affect your claim.

Illustration of a multi-vehicle chain-reaction crash in New Jersey involving a commercial truck and several passenger vehicles

What Is a Chain-Reaction Car Accident?

A chain-reaction car accident occurs when an initial collision leads to one or more additional impacts involving other vehicles.

For example:

Vehicle A → Vehicle B → Vehicle C → Vehicle D

However, simply looking at the final positions of the vehicles may not tell the complete story.

One driver may have caused the initial collision. Another driver may have been following too closely and independently caused a second impact. A vehicle may also have stopped safely but then been pushed into another car after being struck from behind.

That is why determining liability in a multi-vehicle accident in New Jersey can require a careful reconstruction of what happened before, during, and after each impact.

Who Is Liable in a Chain-Reaction Car Accident in NJ?

There is not necessarily one answer that applies to every chain-reaction crash.

The key question is generallyhow each driver's actions contributed to the collision.

Consider two very different situations.

Scenario 1: A Driver Hits You and Is Then Pushed Into You Again

Imagine that you stop for traffic.

The vehicle behind you fails to stop and rear-ends your car. Seconds later, a third vehicle strikes that vehicle from behind, pushing it into your car a second time.

There may now be two separate impacts to investigate.

Evidence may be needed to determine whether the middle driver independently caused the first collision and whether the third driver's impact caused the second.

Scenario 2: A Driver Stops Safely but Is Pushed Into Your Vehicle

Now consider a different sequence.

You stop. The driver behind you also stops without making contact with your vehicle. A third driver then crashes into that stopped vehicle with enough force to push it forward into yours.

Although your vehicle was ultimately rear-ended by the car immediately behind you, the circumstances are very different from the first scenario.

This is one reason an NJ car accident attorney investigating a chain-reaction crash may need to determine the exact sequence of impacts rather than simply looking at which vehicles ended up touching one another.

Can More Than One Driver Be Liable for a New Jersey Car Accident?

Potentially, yes.

New Jersey's Comparative Negligence Act specifically addresses situations involving negligence by more than one person.

Under N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.1, an injured person's own negligence does not automatically prevent recovery when it is not greater than the negligence of the person—or the combined negligence of the persons—against whom recovery is sought. Any recovery can be reduced according to the percentage of negligence attributed to the injured person.

This becomes especially important in a chain-reaction car accident in NJ because several drivers' actions may need to be evaluated.

Depending on the facts, an investigation may examine whether a driver:

• was following too closely;
• was speeding or driving too fast for conditions;
• failed to react to slowing or stopped traffic;
• was distracted;
• independently struck another vehicle before being hit;
• stopped safely but was pushed forward by another vehicle; or
• contributed to a later impact after the chain reaction had already begun.

A multi-vehicle crash therefore should not automatically be reduced to the assumption that only one driver can be responsible.

Why the Sequence of Impacts Matters

One of the most important questions after a chain-reaction accident can be:

Who hit whom first?

In a five-car collision, drivers may remember the crash differently. Some occupants may feel one major impact, while others may remember two or more distinct impacts.

The difference can matter.

For example:

Car C → Car B → Car A

does not necessarily tell us whether Car B had already struck Car A before Car C arrived.

The actual sequence could have been:

Car B hits Car A → Car C hits Car B → Car B hits Car A again.

Or:

Car B stops behind Car A → Car C hits Car B → Car B is pushed into Car A.

Those are materially different accident sequences.

Determining which one occurred may require more than simply asking where each vehicle came to rest.

What Evidence Can Help Determine Fault in a Chain-Reaction Crash?

Evidence can disappear quickly after a multi-vehicle accident. Vehicles are repaired or totaled, witnesses become difficult to locate, and surveillance footage may eventually be overwritten.

Important evidence may include:

• dashcam footage;
• Tesla or other vehicle-camera footage;
• nearby business or residential surveillance video;
• photographs and video from the accident scene;
• police reports;
• witness statements;
• statements from the drivers and passengers;
• photographs showing front- and rear-end vehicle damage;
• vehicle inspection and repair records;
• event data recorder information, when available;
• roadway conditions;
• traffic signals, signs, and lane markings; and
• medical records documenting the injuries and reported mechanism of the crash.

Photos showing damage to both the front and rear of a middle vehicle, for example, may become relevant when investigators are trying to understand the order and force of multiple impacts.

Video can be particularly valuable because it may show whether a vehicle made contact before being struck from behind.

What If You Were Hit Twice in the Same Chain-Reaction Accident?

Being hit twice during the same crash can make documentation particularly important.

An occupant might experience an initial rear impact followed seconds later by another impact after additional vehicles collide behind them.

When seeking medical care, injured motorists should accurately explain what happened—including whether they remembermore than one impact and when their symptoms began.

Do not exaggerate or attempt to diagnose the cause of an injury yourself. Simply provide medical professionals with an accurate history of the collision and your symptoms so the information can be properly documented and evaluated.

The same principle applies when speaking with police or your attorney: if you distinctly remember two impacts, that fact may be important when reconstructing the accident.

Does PIP Cover Injuries From a Chain-Reaction Accident in New Jersey?

New Jersey's automobile insurance system includes Personal Injury Protection (PIP).

The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance describes PIP as coverage for injuries sustained in an automobile accident by the policyholder and other persons covered under the policy, subject to the applicable policy terms, limits, deductibles, and coverage selections.

This is important because the question of who ultimately caused the chain-reaction accident is separate from determining what PIP coverage may initially apply to accident-related medical treatment.

Every accident and insurance policy is different. An injured person should therefore review the applicable policy and circumstances rather than assuming that another driver's insurance will immediately handle all medical bills.

Limited vs. Unlimited Right to Sue After a NJ Chain-Reaction Accident

Another important issue is the injured person's lawsuit option.

According to the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance, motorists with a Standard Policy choose between Limited Right to Sue and Unlimited Right to Sue.

The Unlimited Right to Sue generally preserves the right to pursue pain-and-suffering damages for an injury caused by another driver.

Under Limited Right to Sue, a person generally must satisfy one of New Jersey's qualifying injury categories to pursue pain-and-suffering damages, including:

• loss of a body part;
• significant disfigurement or significant scarring;
• a displaced fracture;
• loss of a fetus;
• permanent injury; or
• death.

The lawsuit option concerns claims for pain and suffering or other non-economic losses. NJDOBI explains that PIP medical expenses and certain economic losses are treated separately and are not determined by the lawsuit-option selection.

This can be an important distinction in a serious personal injury NJ claim arising from a multi-vehicle collision.

What If a Truck Starts the Chain Reaction?

The I-78 crash reported by Patch involved an International box truck as the first vehicle in the reported collision sequence.

When a commercial truck is involved in a crash, additional questions may arise depending on the circumstances.

An investigation may need to determine who owned the vehicle, whether the driver was working at the time, what insurance coverage applies, and whether other individuals or businesses may have potential responsibility.

For someone injured in a collision involving a commercial vehicle, a NJ truck accident lawyer may therefore investigate issues beyond those present in an ordinary two-car collision.

Again, the fact that a truck was reportedly involved in the I-78 accident doesnot establish legal liability for that particular crash. New Jersey State Police reported that the accident remained under investigation.

What Should You Do After a Multi-Vehicle Accident in New Jersey?

If you are involved in a chain-reaction accident, your immediate priority should be safety and appropriate medical attention.

When circumstances permit, useful steps can include reporting the crash, obtaining information from the other drivers, identifying witnesses, photographing the vehicles and accident scene, preserving available video, and keeping copies of insurance and medical documents.

Do not assume that the first insurance company's version of the accident necessarily establishes what happened.

In a crash involving three, four, or five vehicles, identifying each impact and each driver's actions can become an important part of evaluating a personal injury claim.

Why Chain-Reaction Accidents Can Become Complicated Personal Injury Claims

A conventional two-car collision may involve one injured driver and one potentially responsible driver.

A chain-reaction collision can involve several drivers, several insurance companies, multiple passengers, commercial vehicles, conflicting accounts of the crash, and disputes over which impact caused which injuries.

There may also be questions involving:

• multiple insurance policies;
• comparative negligence;
• bodily injury liability limits;
• PIP benefits;
• uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage;
• commercial insurance coverage;
• property damage; and
• the relationship between multiple impacts and the injuries being claimed.

An experienced car accident lawyer NJ can investigate the complete collision sequence, preserve available evidence, communicate with the insurance companies, and evaluate whether more than one party may bear responsibility.

Speak With a NJ Car Accident Lawyer After a Chain-Reaction Crash

Chain-reaction crashes can happen in seconds, but determining exactly how they happened can take considerably longer.

Whether you were the first vehicle, a middle vehicle, a passenger, or someone struck more than once, the order of the impacts can matter when evaluating liability.

A knowledgeable NJ injury attorney can review the police report, vehicle damage, available video, witness accounts, insurance coverage, medical documentation, and other evidence to determine how New Jersey law may apply to your particular circumstances.

If you or a loved one were injured in New Jersey, call Khorozian Law Group at (201) 944-9200 or use our Online Form for a FREE consultation. You do not pay attorney's fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.