Who Is At Fault When Unsafe Road Conditions Cause Accidents?

More than 38,000 people die each year in the United States due to automobile accidents. And about 4.4 million people are injured and require medical attention. While many of these accidents occur due to negligent behavior, human error, and even defective parts, others can happen due to poor road and highway conditions.

But how can these things cause accidents? And what makes a road unsafe? According to Safe Roads USA, the conditions that are more prone to accidents and that we can find on the roads include the following:

• Lack of areas to stop in case of emergency or poorly designed areas.
• Lanes or ramps with badly indicated entrances and exits.
• Bad lighting.
• Confusing or insufficient traffic signs.
• Lack of speed limit indicators.
• Lack of warning signs in difficult or dangerous areas.
• Signs or announcements that cannot be seen because other obstacles hide them.
• Potholes, holes, and debris on the road.
• Missing or insufficient barriers and retaining walls.
• Ice or snow that has not been removed from the road.
• Poorly painted or quite worn traffic signal lines.
• Lack of warning signs in zones where there is road construction and repair work.
• Unfinished road construction areas.
• Defective traffic lights.
• Uneven roads, without signs or poorly maintained.

All of these factors can lead to confusion and a host of problems that lead to car accidents. And in these cases, who is responsible?

Contrary to what most people may think, the responsibility doesn’t just lie with the federal government. According to the place where the accident occurred, local and state governments must also be taken into account, in addition to other drivers who may have created the dangerous situation. Other possible responsible parties include the owner of the road, agencies in charge of road maintenance and supervision, construction companies, contractors, and/or subcontractors, among others.

An investigation must be carried out by the authorities to determine what exactly was the reason for the accident.

If you believe that your accident occurred due to an unsafe road condition, it is important that you contact an attorney. Call SM Law to advise you and take care of your interests!