The majority of car accidents occur because of driver negligence; however, poor road conditions can also lead to accidents and serious injuries for motorists. Liability for accidents that happen due to poor or defective road conditions can fall on some entities that supervise or work on roadways. But to prove these accidents, you need the guidance of a Redkey Gordon Law Corp attorney. A great attorney can help you understand when government entities can be negligent for not handling road defects promptly. Also, they can explain what to do to recover compensation.
Examples of Defective Road Conditions
Many defective or poor road conditions can contribute to vehicle crashes. These include damaged or missing road signs, potholes, malfunctioning traffic signals and lights, oil spillage, inadequate highway lighting, untreated roadways during winter, pavement drop-offs, and others. Such defects can compromise the safety of road users. They can let a driver lose control of their cars, causing them to collide with another car or an object. To strengthen your compensation claim, your lawyer will identify the hazards and establish the longevity of the hazard’s existence. So, if possible, you must take a photo of this hazard because you can use it to prove how your accident and injuries may have occurred.
Possible Liable Parties
To build a valid compensation claim, you must determine how owed you a duty to maintain the safety of the road. In general, liability can be assigned to different parties including the government agency that handles road maintenance, private businesses when the accident happened on a private road or parking lot, government-contracted entities that perform road construction or work, and a product manufacturer when the accident occurred because of a defective product.
In some instances, responsibility for the accident may not be clear. Several government agencies may be responsible for road upkeep. Hiring a skilled attorney could benefit your claim because they can investigate the accident to determine liability for you.
Proving Negligence
If liability has been established, it is important to prove the accident and injuries you suffered resulted from the responsible party’s negligence. Thus, your lawyer needs to establish the agency or company was aware of the road problem, had enough chance to fix the defect or give a warning, but failed to take steps and caused the accident.
If you sustained injuries in an accident that occurred due to defective or poor road conditions, you may be entitled to compensation that covers your medical expenses, property damage, pain and suffering, and lost wages. A great attorney knows how to investigate such types of claims.