Dallas Road Hazard Accident Attorney
The vast majority of car accidents are caused by driver error and negligence. There are also many motor vehicle crashes caused by defective automobiles or their faulty parts and components. And then there is a third cause of car crashes: road hazards, also known as poor or dangerous road conditions.
When your car crash is caused by a hazardous road condition, common sense tells you that this was something outside of your and the other driver’s control. In that case, who can be held responsible for car accidents caused by road hazards and poor road conditions?
Luckily, we brought our Dallas road hazard accident attorney from Law Office of Dorothy Hyde to explain everything you need to know about seeking compensation for car accident injuries caused by potholes, cracks, uneven pavement, sinkholes, road debris and a plethora of other road defects and hazards.
What is a road hazard?
Contrary to the popular belief, “road hazards” go well beyond potholes and other defects on the road surface. Common road hazards include but are not limited to:
- Malfunctioning traffic signals
- Defective traffic signs and lights
- Lack of traffic signs and lights
- Poorly maintained roads and bridges
- Improperly maintained or untrimmed trees, bushes, and other foliage near the road
- Potholes
- Cracked pavement
- Sinkholes
- Uneven pavement and
- Road debris
These road hazards and bad road conditions do not appear out of anywhere. In fact, the vast majority of them are caused by either improper maintenance of the road or deterioration of the road.
Liability in car crashes caused by poor road conditions
When determining who should be held liable for your injury, much depends on the exact location where your accident took place. In fact, car crashes caused by road hazards and poor road conditions usually involve multiple liable parties, including government and public entities.
Our experienced poor road conditions accident attorney in Dallas explains that regardless of the type of road hazard that caused your accident, you will need to determine who owns, controls, and maintains the road where the accident occurred.
Each year, state and local authorities allocate sizeable funding for construction, repair, and maintenance of roads and bridges in Dallas and all across Texas. Maintenance and repair of roads and bridges are supposed to keep these roads and bridges in good condition and safe for all motorists as well as prevent motor vehicle crashes caused by road hazards and other dangerous road conditions.
Government entities are often responsible for road hazard accidents
Unfortunately, many times, funds allocated for construction, reconstruction, maintenance and repair of those roads are not used as intended, which is how these road hazards originate over time.
Our Dallas road hazard crash lawyer says that public and government entities (city, county, municipality, etc.) are held liable in the vast majority of motor vehicle accidents caused by poor road conditions. That is because they are responsible for maintaining roads in a safe condition and inspecting these roads regularly to repair and reconstruct them when there are hazardous conditions or signs of road deterioration.
However, there are some roads that are owned and controlled by private entities, which makes it more difficult to establish liable parties when a motor vehicle collision is caused by road hazards. You may want to consult with a skilled car accident lawyer from Law Office of Dorothy Hyde to determine who can be held liable for your injury in your particular case. Give us a call at (214) 883-1700 to schedule a free consultation.