Beware Of Unsafe Road Conditions

Various unsafe road conditions, from seemingly minor cracks to large sinkholes, can put drivers at risk of being harmed in avoidable accidents.

You may be a responsible driver who exercises caution to minimize your chances of being injured in a car accident or causing one. However, motor vehicle accidents can occur for a number of reasons, many of which may be outside of your control.

Some car accidents are the result of negligence on the part of another motorist. Another potential cause of a car accident that is sometimes overlooked is unsafe road conditions.

You are not responsible for maintaining the condition of the roads upon which you drive. It is rarely a victim’s fault if they are injured in an accident caused by road hazards. That said, if you are familiar with the types of dangerous road conditions that can potentially lead to an accident, you may find it easier to avoid them when planning your trips and routes.

Examples of unsafe road conditions that can cause motor vehicle accidents

Road conditions that may increase the risk of accidents occurring can come in many forms. The following are among the more noteworthy examples:

Potholes: Driving over a pothole can do more than simply damage your vehicle. It may result in a blowout, which can increase your chances of being involved in an accident.

Uneven road surfaces: Drivers often encounter uneven road surfaces in areas where construction is occurring. That said, construction is not the only reason a road surface may be uneven. Like driving over a pothole, driving on an uneven road surface can cause a blowout, which may in turn cause an accident.

Debris: It is always important to pay attention to the road in front of you when driving. Along with monitoring the road for other motorists, you must also keep an eye out for debris, such as tree limbs, rocks, items which may have fallen off of vehicles, trash, and more. Drivers who strike debris before they are able to avoid it can lose control of their vehicles and be harmed in crashes.

Cracks: Cracks in the pavement are fairly common sights on roads throughout the country. This is because they form naturally. Cracks in roads often develop when shifts in temperature throughout the year cause asphalt or pavement to expand and retract. Although cracks may seem like fairly minor hazards when compared to other forms of dangerous road conditions, driving over cracked asphalt or pavement can limit one’s ability to safely control their vehicle.

Sinkholes: Sinkholes can be nearly impossible to detect much of the time. Sadly, they can pose a serious risk to drivers. These hazards develop when the soil beneath the surface of a road dissolves and erodes due to water seeping beneath the surface. Eventually, sinkholes can cause cracks to form and surfaces to become uneven. Major sinkholes can even result in actual holes in the road itself.

Weather conditions: It is always wise to consider how weather conditions will impact your safety on the road. Roads that are wet or icy due to hazardous weather can be very dangerous to drive on. Although there may be instances when you genuinely must drive in poor weather conditions, if you can avoid doing so, wait for roads to dry up or ice and snow to melt for driving on them.

This is among the many reasons it is wise to hire a car accident attorney when filing a claim or lawsuit. Your lawyer can review your case and let you know if you have justification to take legal action against a careless motorist or other such party.

It is rarely a victim’s fault if they are injured in an accident caused by road hazards.

Injured Due to Dangerous Road Conditions? A Boston Car Accident Attorney Can Help

Hopefully, you will never be injured in an accident because of unsafe road conditions. That said, if this does happen to you in Massachusetts, you can likely secure financial compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other such losses associated with your accident.

Massachusetts is a no-fault state. In Massachusetts, you can seek compensation for losses resulting from a car accident by filing a claim to collect from your own insurance. You do not need to show that your accident was the result of another party’s carelessness to file a claim.

It’s worth noting that your insurance provider may not initially offer the full amount of compensation you are eligible to recover given the severity of your injuries. Additionally, if your injuries are particularly severe, you may be able to recover even more compensation by filing a separate claim or lawsuit if you can show that road conditions were unsafe because the agency responsible for maintaining safe roads and addressing road hazards was negligent.

These are key reasons to hire an attorney when filing a claim or lawsuit after an accident. If unsafe road conditions caused you to be injured, our Boston car accident lawyers at Swartz & Swartz, P.C. will offer aggressive representation to help you arrive at a fair settlement. For more information about how we can help, contact us online or call us at  to schedule your free consultation.(617) 742-1900

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