Adams and Jefferson counties · Multi-vehicle accidents
Westminster Multi-vehicle accidents Lawyers
Westminster multi-vehicle accident lawyers for pileups on U.S. Highway 36, I-25. Free consultation. No fee unless we recover for you.
Sorting Out Fault in a Chain-Reaction Crash
McCormick & Murphy are Westminster multi-vehicle accident lawyers for people hurt in Westminster. We get the Westminster Police Department report, the CommonSpirit St. Anthony North Hospital records, and file in Adams County Justice Center or Jefferson County Courts.
A multi-vehicle accident is not one event with one cause. It is a series of impacts, each caused by a decision or failure by a specific driver, often happening within seconds of each other. On corridors like U.S. Highway 36, I-25, Federal Boulevard, and 120th Avenue, a single sudden stop can trigger a chain reaction involving several vehicles that never would have collided on their own.
Insurance companies involved in these claims often try to treat the whole pileup as a single incident with shared blame spread across everyone. That approach can shortchange a driver who was hit from behind and pushed into the car ahead, or a driver who stopped safely but was still struck. We work to identify which impact caused which injury and which driver is responsible for each link in the chain.
Because multiple insurers are usually involved, coverage disputes are common. One carrier may argue another driver's policy should pay first, or that a client's injuries came from a different collision in the sequence. We push back on these arguments and work to hold each at-fault driver accountable for the harm their part of the crash caused.
Reconstructing the Sequence of Impacts
Proving fault in a pileup means reconstructing the order of events, not just the final resting positions of the vehicles. We look at the sequence of impacts, the pattern and severity of damage on each vehicle, and event data recorders that can show speed and braking at the moment of each collision. Traffic and dash camera video, when available, can show exactly how the chain reaction unfolded.
We also look at following distances, road and weather conditions at the time, and witness accounts from drivers and bystanders who saw the crash develop. All of this helps establish which driver's action started or worsened the chain reaction, and it helps identify every insurance policy that may apply to the claim.
- Photos of all vehicles involved, from multiple angles
- Contact and insurance information for every driver on scene
- Names of witnesses who saw how the crash unfolded
- The Westminster Police Department crash report
- Any dash cam or nearby traffic camera footage
Handling Pileup Claims in Westminster
Westminster sits at a crossroads of busy regional traffic, with U.S. Highway 36 and I-25 both running through the area along with heavily traveled surface streets like Federal Boulevard and 120th Avenue. These corridors see significant commuter volume between Westminster and nearby Broomfield, Arvada, Northglenn, Thornton, and Wheat Ridge, which increases the chances of a chain-reaction crash during congestion or sudden slowdowns.
We work with crash reports from Westminster Police Department and treatment records tied to facilities like CommonSpirit St. Anthony North Hospital to document injuries and tie them to the right impact in the sequence. When a case needs to go to court, these claims are typically handled through Adams County Justice Center or Jefferson County Courts, depending on where the crash occurred.
What Recovery May Cover
- Medical treatment tied to the specific impact that caused your injury
- Lost income from time away from work
- Vehicle repair or replacement costs
- Pain and suffering from the crash
- Future care needs tied to lasting injuries
What clients say about McCormick & Murphy
Real outcomes and reviews. Check Google reviews for the office that serves Westminster — and read client testimonials.
After I was hit by a drunk driver with no insurance, my own insurer refused UM benefits. McCormick & Murphy sued for uninsured motorist benefits and bad faith. A jury awarded me over $900,000.
C. O., Denver · UM / bad-faith verdict
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its facts, coverage, venue, and evidence.
Westminster Multi-Vehicle Accident Lawyers FAQ
Who is liable when several cars are involved in one crash?
Liability depends on the sequence of impacts, not just how many cars were involved. Each driver may be responsible for the specific collision they caused, and more than one driver can share fault for different parts of the chain reaction. We work to sort out which driver caused which impact.
What if I was in the middle of the pileup and didn't cause any collision?
Being struck from behind and pushed into the car ahead does not make you at fault. We look closely at vehicle damage patterns and event data to show your car was pushed rather than the cause of a separate impact.
How do multiple insurance policies work in a pileup claim?
Each at-fault driver's policy may need to respond to the portion of the crash they caused. Insurers sometimes dispute which policy should pay first, which is why identifying every applicable policy early matters.
Will the insurance company try to blame everyone equally?
Some insurers prefer to treat a pileup as shared fault across all drivers because it can limit what they pay. We push back using the specific sequence of events and vehicle damage to assign fault accurately.
What should I do if I'm not sure which car hit me first?
Document everything you can at the scene, including photos, witness names, and the police report, and let us help reconstruct the sequence. Event data and video evidence can often clarify what you could not see happen.
Discuss a Westminster crash
Free consultation. No attorney fee unless we recover for you.