Did dangerous road conditions cause your accident?
Dangerous road conditions and bad highway design contribute to more than half of the fatal crashes in the U.S., according to a study conducted by the Transportation Construction Coalition. Even if you are the most careful of drivers, road hazards can lead to serious accidents that can result in injuries to you and your passengers, damage to your car and end up costing your precious money as well as time. Examples of hazardous conditions include:
- dangerous intersections
- shoulder drop-offs
- obstacles ( trees, utility poles, etc) that block a driver’s view
- potholes/uneven road surfaces/loose gravel
- broken/missing signs, lines, and/or reflectors
- work zones
- narrow roads/bridges
- oil and chip
If you’ve been in an accident as the result of dangerous road conditions, the question of liability becomes an important issue. These types of cases are complicated, and it’s often difficult to prove who is at fault because the responsible party(s) involved are governmental agencies. You need to retain the services of a personal injury attorney who has experience in dealing with these types of lawsuits. In South Dakota, that would be Rapid City attorneys, Gregory Yates and Michael Shubeck.
Putting the law on your side
A big part of your attorney’s job will be to demonstrate proof that a road hazard caused your accident and that the government was aware of the hazard, but failed to remedy the situation. The city, state, or county government is responsible for maintaining safe road conditions to help reduce and prevent accidents.
In Rapid City as well as the state of South Dakota, if you’ve been injured, you can bring an action for physical and medical injuries. Damages can include any expenses related to your accident including medical bills, property damage, loss of earnings and/or impairment of earning capacity, and the cost of vehicle repairs that are not covered by insurance.
Gregory Yates and Michael Shubeck have over four decades of experience litigating personal injury cases and have successfully recovered millions of dollars in compensation on behalf of clients due to settlements, awards, and jury verdicts.
Your first appointment is a free consultation at which time Mr. Yates or Mr Shubeck will discuss the details of the accident to determine if you have valid case. If you decide to pursue your claim, our law office will fight tirelessly on your behalf to achieve the best possible results for you and your family.
Working with an attorney
Whether you travel on major highways or on back roads in South Dakota, you will more than likely encounter road hazards at some time — potholes, cracked and damaged road surfaces, missing or broken signs, or poorly designed intersections — that pose the potential to cause a serious accident.
If you or a family member has been injured as a result of poor roadway conditions, call our Rapid City law firm of Gregory Yates and Michael Schubeck to see how we can help you.