Roadway defects are a very serious hazard causing injuries and deaths. In most cases, a government entity is responsible for the design, construction and/or maintenance of the defective roadway and can be held financially responsible for your injuries or the loss of a loved one. Lawsuits against governments typically have much shorter deadlines and are governed by different rules of procedure than other types of motor vehicle accident claims. You need the help of an experienced defective roadway accident attorney to protect your legal right and recover maximum compensation for your losses.
Roadway Defects
Roadway defects come in many shapes and forms. Some are known defects that have caused many documented accidents over a long period of time, such as a notoriously dangerous intersection. Other may be a one-time event which is quickly corrected or the result of transient conditions. Some defects, such as a malfunctioning traffic signal, can cause accidents while others, such as missing guardrails, cause injuries to be worse if an accident occurs.
Examples of roadway defects include:
- Malfunctioning traffic signal
- Dangerous intersection design
- Intersection that should have a traffic signal, but does not
- Lack of or inadequately marked crosswalk
- Lack of street lights or malfunctioning street light
- Inadequate highway division
- Inadequate or insufficient notification of changes in the shoulder
- Shoulder drop-offs
- Inadequate or insufficient notification of impending conditions such as construction zones, merging traffic, or hazardous weather conditions
- Inadequate or malfunctioning warning signs or signals for conditions such as curves, dips, and bumps
- Missing or obscured stop sign
- Poor drainage
- Improperly banked curve
- Obstacles or debris not removed in a timely manner
- Potholes and other road damage
- Excessive oil, gravel, or sand
- Missing, damaged or defective guardrail
- Lack of or malfunctioning breakaway device on pole or post
If you believe that a roadway defect caused your accident or contributed to your injuries, please call the Gulfport accident attorneys of Andrew C. Burrell, P.A., Attorneys at Law at (228) 896-4016 or email us today.
