What To Do If A Road Hazard Has Caused My Car Accident

You can’t control everything in life. This is especially true on the road.

Drivers can use as much diligence as they can muster while driving. Every law, ordinance, and posted speed limit can be followed, and yet still, some things are beyond a driver’s control. One such thing being road hazards.

Road hazards can occur on any road, anywhere. They are also much more dangerous and deadly than they might appear at first glance. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that over 700 tire-related deaths occurred in 2017 alone. Road hazards can manifest in various forms, through road deterioration over time, or man-made things like faulty road signs.

You might be confused about what legal steps you can take after an accident caused by a road hazard.

If you or someone you love was involved in an accident caused by some kind of road hazard, get in touch with a professional team of Los Angeles lawyers.

These California lawyers will help you receive any compensation you might be owed.

Roadway Deterioration

One doesn’t have to be all that observant to notice that road construction takes a long time.

Repairs and construction are often lengthy, extensive projects. Various bits of debris and deterioration occur as a result of these projects. Roads are torn up and are often left that way for months on end.

Unfortunately, this creates a hazardous situation for drivers, one which can very well lead to an accident. It’s especially an issue for Los Angeles drivers since they are often forced to drive in heavily trafficked roadways.

Because of this, a can of worms is opened.

As well, over time roadways and traffic patterns can change. As a result, posted signs can become dangerous, as they give drivers faulty and no longer relevant information.

Potential Hazards

A road hazard can come in many different shapes and sizes.

Weather conditions are often the cause of road hazards. Rain creates slick surfaces and cases of standing water. Rain is an omnipresent part of life, and it might not seem like that much of a big deal when it occurs.

However, it creates dangerous, hazardous road conditions.

While not much of a concern for California drivers, snow and ice are equally deadly road hazards.

Animals that dash out in front of oncoming traffic count as road hazards as well, as does most anything that occurs beyond a driver’s control.

Often times, hazardous conditions arise as a result of deteriorating structures, things that are manmade. Over time, safety rails and bridges are prone to wear and degradation. Unchecked, this creates a massive safety issue for Los Angeles drivers.

As well, freeways and highways are prone to becoming hazardous over time.

Potholes and loose gravel create many opportunities for an accident to occur. The edges of the road can crumble and become worn out as well. This invites car crashes, flat tires, and a million opportunities for accidents to occur on California roads.

It’s not just old roads that can create hazardous conditions for drivers either. Occasionally, a newly constructed roadway will be improperly labeled and designed. As traffic patterns change, old and outdated signs can cause all kinds of accidents.

All sorts of hazards blossom up while a road is being constructed. Construction equipment, cones, and signs create hazards that obscure the road. While a road is being constructed, speed limits change and lanes whittle down to one, solitary roadway.

Anything on the road that changes driving conditions can create a massive hazard for drivers. The only remedies for these kinds of potential hazards are vigilance and attention.

What You Can Do Before the Accident

While you should have your full attention focused on the road and the task in front of you under normal driving situations, you should hone your ability to concentrate and focus when the roads become hazardous. Not only will your attention potentially save your own life, but it will protect and save the lives of your fellow drivers on the road.

Road hazards often present themselves unexpectedly and without any kind of warning. Therefore, one of the only recommended remedies to road hazards is to increase your following distance with the cars in front of you.

Giving yourself the maximum amount of time to react to any and all hazards that crop up unexpectedly can save you time, money, and your health and life.

What You Can Do After an Accident

If an accident occurs because of a road hazard, you need to do yourself a favor and receive legal advice.

Before you actually get in contact with a lawyer, you should treat the accident how you would treat any sort of car accident.

You should start by calling 911 and reporting your accident, as you would in a standard accident. It might seem like overkill, but helping your lawsuit move along as smoothly as possible will only help you in the long run.

If you are injured in the accident, you should also seek medical attention as soon as possible. Not only will your injuries be looked at and treated before they possibly become a real issue, but getting your injuries on record will help your legal case move along.

As well, you should document the accident as much as you can. Again, this may seem overboard, but you’ll be happier to have it than to not have it. Take photographs from as many different angles as possible, and talk to any witnesses that might have seen your accident.

Obtain Legal Support for Road Hazard Accidents

Road hazards can strike without warning. You can prepare yourself as much as possible, but still, you can suffer an accident as a result of a road hazard.

If you or a loved one suffer an accident as a result of a road hazard, contact Los Angeles’ Tawni Takagi at (310) 954-7248 as soon as possible.

With years of experience handling cases just like yours, our California lawyers will help your car accident case.