Roadway Defect Motor Vehicle Accident
If your car or truck accident was caused by a defective roadway including improper or lacking signage, extreme shoulder drop-off defects, highway construction hazards, and poor roadway design, you may be seeking answers to your legal questions. The Farber Law Group, a Washington personal injury law firm, may be of assistance to you.
Washington Roadway Design Accident Attorney
It is the responsibility of the state, counties, and cities to provide safe roads for those who use them. Roads should be properly maintained and there should be proper signage to alert drivers of any irregularities and to provide information. If this is not done, motor vehicle accidents may result. Signs and markers should include:
Signs to indicate merging traffic
Signs to indicate a narrow or minimal shoulder or extreme shoulder drop-off
Signs to warn drivers of an upcoming construction zone
Proper striping or lane lines
Signs to warn drivers of one-way streets or wrong ways on the highway off-ramps.
Roadway Maintenance Accidents
Sometimes motor vehicle accidents are caused when roads and bridges are not properly maintained. Examples of this are crumbling or lose asphalt that can fall off a bridge or overpass and strike a vehicle or get thrown up by a truck tire into the windshield of the following vehicle. Another example is when road crews leave debris such as loose gravel or cones on the roadway.
Shoulder Drop-Off Defects
One category of roadway defect is extreme shoulder drop-offs. A greater than a two-inch distance between the adjacent pavement to the regular paved travel lane may pose a hazard to motorists, especially motorcyclists. Sometimes the drop-off can be caused by poor roadway maintenance or construction causing the drop-off. If the drop-off caused or contributed to a collision, an analysis will need to be made to determine which entity was responsible for maintaining the road edge or alerting motorists to its presence.
Hazards Due to Highway Construction
Whenever a construction crew is working on a highway or roadway, they are responsible for providing traffic control using warning signs, traffic barrels, and flaggers to assist motorists and help them avoid hazards. There are federal and state regulations that provide rules as to how these traffic control measures should be utilized. If the rules are not followed, car accidents may result.
Hydroplane Accidents
Most roadways are engineered so that water does not collect on the roadway. However, in cases when a roadway was improperly graded or paved, water can pool on the roadway and cause a motorist to lose control of their vehicle in a hydroplane situation. In such a case, a claim may be made against the construction company who built the road or the public entity responsible for the road.
Negligent Road Design
Motor vehicle accidents can occur when traffic is not properly controlled at an intersection or when there is poor visibility at an intersection. In addition, roads that are designed with sharp curves may also create problems.
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(425) 455-9087
Your Case is Important to Us - Free Consultation
Herb Farber and the attorneys in the network of The Farber Law Group provide a free case consultation to people seriously injured in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. If your injuries are serious and you cannot come to see us, we can arrange to visit you at Harborview Medical Center, Overlake Hospital Emergency & Trauma Center, Evergreen Hospital, or one of the other trauma centers throughout the state. We have represented injured victims for more than 45 years and we believe every injured person should have access to legal advice. For your Free and Confidential consultation, contact us today at (800) 244-9087.