Washington’s ever-expanding infrastructure and congested roadways mean the state’s highways, city streets, and community roads are often under construction, undergoing routine maintenance, or in a state of repair. Unfortunately, busy municipalities in charge of repairing and maintaining roads sometimes miss serious safety hazards, cut corners, or postpone necessary maintenance. In addition, negligent road construction crews sometimes leave obstructions or debris in the roadway, causing dangerous conditions for drivers. A car accident attorney in Lake Stevens is here to help you get the compensation you deserve.
How Are Car Accidents Caused by Poor Road Quality or Negligent Road Maintenance?
Deteriorating, neglected, or poorly repaired roadways pose significant safety hazards to drivers, leading to a substantial number of car accidents that can result in catastrophic or deadly injuries. The most common causes of accidents resulting from road hazards include the following:
- Dangerous potholes
- Cracked or broken pavement
- Uneven lanes
- Dangerous road shoulders
- Obstructed signs
- Construction obstacles in the roadway
- Dangerous debris
- Inadequate signage
- Broken guardrails
- Improper drainage
- Broken traffic signals
- Steep roadside drop-offs
- Failure to promptly address snow accumulation or dangerous ice conditions
In some cases, poorly planned intersections or confusing road designs can also cause car accidents.
Liability In Poor Roadway Condition Accidents In Washington
When a car accident directly results from a dangerous road condition that was preventable if only the appropriate city, county, or state agency or road construction department had taken appropriate actions, car accident injury victims may recover compensation for their injury-related losses by proving liability against parties such as the following:
- A negligent road maintenance agency
- A negligent road construction agency or contractor
- A negligent road planning agency
Depending on the circumstances of the accident, if a driver’s negligence contributed to a collision and caused an accident with injuries to another motorist, they could be held liable under Washington’s pure comparative negligence law, which assigns a percentage of fault to all those involved in an accident. For example, a negligent road maintenance agency might be liable for failing to repair a dangerous pothole, but if one driver swerves into oncoming traffic to avoid the pothole and causes a head-on collision, they are also held accountable for their part of the accident.
What If Inclement Weather Causes Poor Road Conditions?
Snow, sleet, ice, rain, and fog are all natural weather anomalies that can cause dangerous driving conditions. Although no one can control the weather, it doesn’t mean that a car accident victim has no legal recourse for financial recovery if another driver slides into their vehicle or hits them in a foggy intersection. Part of a driver’s duty of reasonable care is to adjust their speed and braking distance for inclement weather conditions and the resulting hazardous roadways. In many cases, an at-fault driver can be held liable for an injury victim’s damages if the at-fault driver was driving too fast or braking too suddenly for slippery road conditions, or failed to use their headlights in heavy rain or fog.
How Can a Washington Car Accident Law Firm Help?
All car accident claims are challenging, especially since insurance companies are more than willing to prioritize their profits at the expense of a fair payout on your claim. Accident claims involving poor road maintenance or dangerous conditions are even more complex. You deserve experienced representation so you can focus on healing. Call Wells Trumbull today for a free consultation so your injury attorney in Lake Stevens can begin strategizing the best way forward to achieve the maximum compensation available to you.