Bad road condition accidents contribute to thousands of vehicle accidents each year. Most roads are maintained by government entities with a strong legal support system. Accordingly, proving that your car accident in Atlanta, Georgia resulted from poor road conditions can be challenging.
Bad road conditions accidents result from many causes, including:
- Ice on the roads due to the weather
- Potholes
- Road signs that have fallen, covered by trees, or are otherwise not visible
- Incorrect signs or lack of signage
- Broken concrete or cracks in the road
- Guardrails jutting into the street
- Damaged overpasses, bridges, toll booths, light poles
- Uneven roads
- Traffic lights that are broken, not working, inadequate, or missing
- Road flooding because of improper road design, clogged drains
These poor road conditions can cause:
- Damage to your vehicle
- Injury to the driver or passengers of a vehicle
- Accidents involving other vehicles, pedestrians, or people
Who is Responsible for Poor Road Conditions?
Homeowners have a responsibility to keep their homes and free from dangerous conditions for people visiting. Similarly, the entity that has control over the road has a duty to keep the road in a safe condition. Generally, roads are maintained by:
- City
- County
- State
- Federal government
The entity responsible for maintaining the road where the accident occurred due to the poor road conditions is generally the party liable for your accident. However, different government entities might be responsible for the same road differently. For example, the city might be responsible for fixing cracks in the pavement while the county has the responsibility to treat icy conditions. A trusted personal injury lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia, can help investigate the facts to determine the best way to proceed in a lawsuit.
Causes of Dangerous Road Conditions
- Failure to Maintain: When the city, county, state, or federal government has control over maintaining roads, they know (or should know) about dangers, defects, and unique conditions of the road. The city, county, state, or federal government should fix the danger, defect, or condition. They are responsible for maintaining safe roads and highways in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
- Failure to Warn: If unable to fix the problem, the government entity should warn drivers about the dangerous condition. Drivers can be easily warned by placing warning signs, cones, or other visible markers.
- Improper construction and design: If a road, street, or bridge was designed or constructed improperly, the government entity responsible for that area is responsible for identifying the problem and fixing it. This might include putting up reinforcements or re-constructing the area.
Like private individuals, government entities carry insurance policies. These insurance policies often have significantly higher policy limits than those carried by people.
Call the CEO Lawyer Today to Understand Your Rights After an Accident Due to Bad Road Conditions Accidents in Atlanta, Georgia
The injury and accident attorneys at the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm are available to understand what happened in your accident. We know that an accident resulting from bad road conditions can get complicated. Initiating a personal injury case against the city, county, state, or federal government is even more complicated. If you or a loved one was injured in Atlanta, Georgia, due to dangerous road conditions, you might be entitled to damages. This is not a fight to go alone. Call today for your free consultation.
