Lake Charles Defective Roadway Lawyer

Lake Charles Defective Roadway Attorney

An essential aspect of safe road travel is safe roadways. They need to be properly designed, made, and maintained. Deteriorating roadways and road signs increase the risk of accidents and injuries. If you were injured in an accident and you believe that poor road conditions contributed to it, you need a Lake Charles defective roadway lawyer. A personal injury attorney can review your case and determine if you have a potential claim against the party meant to maintain the road.

Sanchez Burke, LLC: Protecting the Victims of Dangerous Roadways

Bad roads can endanger drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and others near the road. Car accidents are one of the most frequent causes of personal injuries, and some of these injuries can be very severe. Even minor injuries can prevent you from working for weeks and leave you with astronomical medical bills and other financial hardships. If the negligence of another party caused your injuries, you deserve to have those losses compensated.

At Sanchez Burke, LLC, we believe in securing you the financial support you need to take the time to physically recover and get back to your life. When you are in a vehicle collision, we investigate to determine the cause and the at-fault party. When the accident was caused by defective roads, we determine what entity was responsible for the road and how to effectively hold them accountable for your injuries.

These cases are complex and can require numerous expert witnesses to show the errors a governmental entity created and how they caused your incident. We want to fight for the ideal outcome in your claim.

How Can Bad Road Conditions Cause Accidents?

The majority of car collisions are caused by driver negligence. However, bad roads can be a contributing factor in many accidents, even ones where a driver is at fault.

Defective roads can worsen a mistake made by a driver. Narrow roads or roads with bad shoulders can fail to provide enough room for a driver to correct errors. Drivers can hit potholes that cause them to lose control or get into a bigger accident. Road equipment, like guardrails, dividers, or street lights, can be improperly installed or faulty, causing or worsening accidents.

Different road hazards can increase the risks for drivers or directly cause an accident. When this happens, the parties responsible for that hazard should be held accountable.

What Are the Hazards on Defective Roadways?

The state and parish governments have a duty to maintain safe roads and to avoid unreasonable risks. There are many hazards that can cause unreasonable dangers on the road, including:

• Road obstructions. This can include construction debris, fallen trees and other debris from storms, loose manhole covers, loose gravel, and other hazards obstructing the road that are not addressed in a reasonable period of time.
• Poor road signs. Road signs give drivers important information, and they cannot give that information if the signs are severely damaged, missing, or obstructed by foliage.
• Malfunctioning signals. Road signals like stop lights that are malfunctioning can cause serious dangers.
• Poorly designed road. Poor road design can cause confusion and increase the risk of accidents, including insufficient signs, a lack of signals when they are needed, or fundamental issues with intersections, grades, or inclines.
• Poor drainage. Road design needs to drain rain from the roadway effectively, and it can cause backups, accidents, and other injuries if it floods.

Other hazards on the road include:

• Potholes
• Uncovered manholes
• Steep shoulders
• Sinkholes
• Degraded or narrow shoulders
• Improperly managed construction sites
• Inadequate guardrails
• Sharp turns
• Uneven lanes

When these roadway hazards cause you to get into an accident, you may have options for recovery. Dangerous roads can be relevant even if they are only one contributing cause to your accident.

FAQs About Lake Charles, LA Defective Roadway Laws

Can You Sue a City for Bad Roads?

You may be able to sue a city for bad roads, but it entirely depends on the circumstances of your case and whether the bad roads directly caused an accident or injury. Like other personal injury claims in Lake Charles, you must prove that the governmental entity had a duty to maintain the roads to a certain standard, failed to uphold that standard and that you were injured as a direct result of the unmaintained roads. It is important to secure legal support for these claims.

Is Louisiana a Fault State for Car Accidents?

Yes, Louisiana is a fault state for car accidents, meaning that injured parties can file claims to cover their losses with the insurer of the at-fault driver or other party. Because of this, determining who was at fault for the accident is crucial.

Most accidents are caused by the negligence of a driver, but accidents can be caused by poor road maintenance. If the at-fault party’s insurer refuses to agree to a reasonable settlement, then the case could proceed to a civil claim.

How Much Can Someone Sue for a Car Accident on a Defective Road in Louisiana?

The amount that someone can sue for a car accident for a defective road in Louisiana depends on many factors, including your:

• Liability. If you were partially to blame, your compensation will be reduced.
• Attorney. Legal support means you are more likely to get maximum compensation.
• Settlement or verdict. Cases that have a trial verdict may recover more compensation.
• Evidence. If a lot of evidence supports your case, it may be easier to get a reasonable settlement.
• Coverage. Compensation can be limited by insurance coverage limits.

How Long Do You Have to File a Claim for Defective Roadway Injuries in Louisiana?

In a personal injury claim in Louisiana, you have a certain amount of time by which you must file a claim against a private entity, and claims against governmental agencies cannot be barred if they are filed in the same time period.

Claims for injuries caused by defective roadways are generally filed with a state or federal entity responsible for their upkeep. An attorney is crucial in handling these claims because they can help determine if the governmental entity breached its duty in your unique case.

Finding the Right Defective Road Attorneys in Lake Charles

Filing a claim against a governmental entity is not easy, and proving that an agency failed in its duty to maintain the road can be a complex process. You need a knowledgeable personal injury attorney to help with each step of the process. Contact Sanchez Burke, LLC today to see how we can help you after a car accident.