What Are the Largest Vehicle Pileups in Georgia History?

Some of the largest vehicle pileups in Georgia’s history include a 2013 crash involving 27 vehicles and a historic 125-vehicle pileup in 2002. Georgia has also had historic traffic stoppages and pileups due to snowy weather, particularly in 2014.

Horrendous accidents such as these may sound like a statistic, but they can tell us important things about car accidents and staying safe. An Atlanta multi-vehicle accident lawyer can answer any more questions you have about vehicle pileup accidents in Georgia.

2013: I-16 Near Montrose

A foggy February morning in 2013 resulted in a fiery 27-vehicle pileup on I-16, leaving four dead and nine injured. The crash was spurred in part by poor visibility due to heavy fog and clouds, resulting in visibility of less than a quarter mile.

The crash shut down a quarter-mile of the interstate for over six hours before the wreckage was cleared from the scene. The crash involved seven semi tractor-trailers that were traveling between Savannah and Macon and is believed to have been caused by poor visibility due to a nearby controlled burn.

2002: I-75 in Catoosa County

The single largest traffic pileup in Georgia history involved a 125-car pileup on I-75 in central Catoosa County in March 2002. Two tractor-trailers collided due to poor visibility and sent one another over the median into the southbound lanes. Over 125 vehicles were involved in the crash, resulting in 39 injuries and four deaths.

The Catoosa County pileup is one of the worst recorded traffic accidents in US history and caused over $4.5 million in damages. I-75 was closed in both directions for nearly a day straight until emergency crews could remove the wreckage and reopen lanes.

This historic crash has become a case study in future highway safety design and road maintenance to prevent serious accidents.

2014: Snowpocalypse in Atlanta

In January 2014, cities across the U.S. were struck by a historic snowstorm. This “Snowpocalypse” hit Atlanta particularly hard, resulting in a city-wide white-out for nearly a full day.

The heavy snowfall caused over 1,500 accidents across Atlanta highways, resulting in nearly 200 injuries in a short period. A few weeks later, in early February, another powerful snowstorm caused another city shutdown and several accidents on nearby interstates. The 2014 snowstorm remains one of the worst in state history.

Lessons to Learn from the Largest Vehicle Pileups in Georgia History

Large vehicle pileups like these have unique features that make them stand out from typical car accidents and that make injury claims harder to pursue:

• Complex dynamics. The crash dynamics of a multi-vehicle pileup are exceptionally complex. A small initial event, like a swerve or quick stop, can cause a chain reaction that grows exponentially and results in a devastating crash. Identifying the root cause of these kinds of accidents requires thorough investigation and consulting with accident reconstruction experts.
• Extraordinary damage. Multi-vehicle accidents result in massive destruction and extraordinary injuries. Injury claims for multi-vehicle accidents can involve hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, so insurers will assess them with heightened scrutiny. The wide scope of damages means that you must keep meticulous records of all bills and expenses.
• Shared liability. Multi-vehicle accidents are often a result of the negligence of multiple entities. Identifying these entities and assigning the appropriate amount of fault makes up a significant amount of work in a car accident claim. If several entities are liable, victims can pursue each one individually for financial compensation.
• Fatal accidents. Multi-vehicle pileups also tend to have a higher death toll. If someone is killed in a fatal multi-vehicle pileup, an attorney can file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the deceased’s surviving heirs. A wrongful death lawsuit can compensate survivors for any loss of financial support and emotional distress.

An Attorney Can Help You After a Multi-Vehicle Crash in Georgia

If you’ve been in a recent large vehicle pileup in Georgia, it can be difficult to even know where to start with pursuing financial compensation. The most effective thing you can do after a car accident is find a lawyer to represent you.

A car accident lawyer in Atlanta can start investigating the multi-vehicle pile-up and identify the party (or parties) responsible for your injuries. Depending on your circumstances, an attorney can pursue compensation for the following losses:

• Emergency medical bills and continuing medical expenses
• Lost income from missing work and reduced lifetime earning capacity
• Pain and suffering, mental anguish, and emotional distress
• Miscellaneous injury expenses (e.g., housekeeping, childcare, transportation, etc.)
• Discomfort and inconvenience from scarring and disfigurement
• Cost of vehicle repair and replacement

With an attorney on your side, you stand a much better chance of unraveling the causes of a multi-vehicle accident and recovering the maximum compensation possible.

Contact John Foy & Associates online or call today to discuss your case with an Atlanta personal injury lawyer.