Car Accident as a Result of a Defective Road Design in San Antonio, TX

sign warning defective road design

Poorly designed roads put every motorist and road user in danger. Blind curves, narrow lanes, steep pavement shoulder drop-offs, poor placement of street lights, missing signage, and other road defects can all contribute to a serious accident. When they do, the government unit responsible for the unsafe design may be financially liable for the injuries. However, suing a government agency in Texas and getting fair compensation is a challenging process without the help of an experienced car crash lawyer.

Were you hurt in an accident caused by an unsafe road design? The Law Offices of Troy A. Brookover stands ready to protect your rights. Attorney Troy Brookover has more than three decades of legal experience and has recovered millions of dollars in compensation for clients. Our legal team understands the challenges and notification requirements involved in cases involving government agencies. We don’t back down from tough fights. Contact us today for a free consultation with a road design accident lawyer.

Why Hire a Lawyer After an Accident Caused by Road Design?

It is always a good idea to consult with an experienced attorney if you’re considering a personal injury claim. You should focus on your medical treatment and putting your life back together rather than dealing with insurance companies and filing demand letters. Hiring a personal injury attorney means you benefit from their experience and knowledge. You have a better chance of recovering the full compensation you deserve.

Suing the state or a local municipality is more complicated than suing a private citizen. The Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code allows people to file personal injury lawsuits against governmental units under certain circumstances and allows a limited amount of time to provide notice of a pending claim. Without help from a skilled attorney who understands the notification deadlines and the evidence needed to prove a road design accident case, you could have difficulty proceeding with a claim.

Why Choose the Law Offices of Troy A. Brookover for Your Road Design Accident?

If you have suffered a serious injury on an unsafe road in San Antonio, the attorney you select as your road design accident attorney is one of the most important decisions you will make. With so much at stake, here are three reasons to choose the Law Offices of Troy A. Brookover for your road design accident case:

  • A personal approach– Attorney Troy Brookover is a sole practitioner who will take the time to understand you and your specific needs. You will work directly with Troy throughout your case. He will be available to answer your questions anytime.
  • Practical experience– Before founding his personal injury law firm, Troy Brookover was an insurance defense lawyer who learned how insurance companies approach cases and the tactics they use. He uses that knowledge to help injured people demand justice and seek fair compensation to rebuild their lives.
  • Proven results– If you want an objective measure of a law firm’s effectiveness, look at their case results. Over the years, Troy Brookover has recovered significant awards for clients, including many six- or seven-figure sums. He knows how important every dollar is to a family experiencing financial stress after a loved one is seriously injured. His results illustrate his experience handling complex car accident cases.

How Much Does a Lawyer Charge for a Road Design Accident?

Our clients are often unable to work and under financial stress after an accident. The Law Offices of Troy Brookover handles car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. If you don’t receive compensation, you won’t owe us anything. If are successful on your behalf, then we receive a percentage of the amount recovered to pay our legal fee and case expenses.

Who Is Responsible for Your Injuries in a Road Design Accident?

Liability is a tricky issue in road design accidents. Multiple parties may share fault for your injuries. The liable parties depend on the specifics of the crash and require a thorough investigation of the scene of the accident. They may include the following:

  • Government entities– It is generally up to a local government or state government to design and maintain public roads, bridges, and highways in a given area. If a crash occurs because of an issue with the road’s design – for example, if there is no sign to warn drivers of a blind turn – then whatever agency is responsible for designing and maintaining the road may bear legal responsibility for any resulting injury or death.
  • Other drivers– Poor road design does not excuse negligent drivers for causing accidents. If a driver swerved to avoid a pothole in the road and caused a crash in which you sustained significant injuries, you might have a claim against the at-fault driver and possibly a premise defect claim against the governmental unit responsible for maintaining the street and repairing potholes.
  • Construction companies– Construction companies can create chaos on the roads if they fail to follow the appropriate design standards when building roads and setting up highway work zones. If a road shoulder has too steep a drop-off, it can cause the driver of a car that veers off the edge of the road to lose control and the vehicle to overturn. If an accident occurs in a work zone due to an unsafe work zone design, the construction company might bear legal responsibility for a driver’s injuries.

How a Road Design Accident Lawyer Can Benefit Your Case

Texas law says you must notify a government agency about a pending personal injury claim within six months of the date of the accident. That limited time makes it critical to contact an experienced injury attorney promptly to investigate the accident and gather evidence to support your claim. If you miss the notification deadline, you may lose your right to pursue compensation. Hiring a lawyer who is familiar with the notice deadlines helps you protect your right to pursue compensation.

Developing a strong case requires time, energy, and legal knowledge that most people recovering from serious injuries don’t have. Your attorney’s knowledge and experience give you a better chance of winning your case.

How Does Poor Road Design Contribute to Accidents?

Road design defects contribute to accidents in San Antonio in multiple ways. The first is by failing to provide essential information and warnings to drivers. For example, if a street has missing or insufficient signage, drivers might not know they’re approaching an intersection or sharp curve and need to slow down, which could result in a collision.

Another way poor road design contributes to accidents is by making driving conditions more hazardous. For instance, a lack of proper lighting makes accidents more likely because drivers have a harder time seeing where they’re going. Another example is a lack of proper drainage in the street, which can cause water to pool and cars to spin out of control. In both examples, better road design might have prevented an accident.

Types of Roadway Design Issues

Some of the most common types of roadway design issues we see in San Antonio include:

  • Poorly designed work zones
  • Missing signage
  • Missing or broken guardrails
  • Poorly spaced or designed medians
  • Poorly designed road shoulders
  • Improper road grading
  • Poorly designed off-ramps or on-ramps
  • Poor or insufficient street lighting
  • Sand, gravel, or other road debris from work crews
  • Overgrown vegetation
  • Blind turns