Richard Bagdasarian
Think You Can’t Recover After a Single-Car Crash? Don’t Be So Sure
A significant number of people are hurt in single-vehicle car accidents every year. Unfortunately, many people who are hurt in these kinds of accidents assume that it was their fault – after all, if there are no other drivers around, who else is there to blame? In reality, many single-vehicle accidents are not the driver’s fault, which means that drivers and their passengers will likely be able to recover compensation from a third party. Some of the ways that a single-car accident can be caused by the negligence of a person other than the driver of the vehicle are discussed below.
Vehicle Defects
Vehicles that are defectively designed, manufactured, or marketed (the manufacturer fails to warn the driver about some non-obvious danger) can cause serious accidents. The same is true for aftermarket vehicle equipment. Some failures that can result in an injury-causing crash include those that involve:
- Brakes;
- Steering mechanisms;
- Tires;
- Power steering pumps;
- Cruise control systems;
- Headlights;
- Lane departure warning systems;
- Anti-lock braking systems;
- Accelerator failures;
- Speedometers.
If these or any other parts were defective, it could easily lead to a serious single-vehicle accident. In order to determine whether a vehicle defect played a role in your case, it may be necessary to conduct a thorough investigation of the way in which the accident occurred. In addition, proving that a vehicle defect played a role may require the assistance of an accident reconstruction expert. As a result, it is critical for single-car accident victims to always speak with an attorney as soon as they can.
Defectively Designed or Maintained Roadways
Defectively designed or maintained roadways are another common cause of single-vehicle accidents where the driver was not at fault. Some of the issues that may lead to an accident include the following:
- Potholes;
- Inadequate signage;
- Unmarked construction zones;
- Inoperative street lights;
- Missing guardrails;
- Faded lane markers;
- Improperly graded curves;
- Inadequate road maintenance in adverse weather conditions;
- Overgrown trees or other plants obscuring road signs;
- Shoulder drop offs.
It is important to understand that there is often a public entity such as the Florida Department of Transportation or a local municipality responsible for road design and maintenance. Whenever you bring a legal claim against the government, a special set of legal rules applies and the time limitations and amount you can recover are much more limited than in actions against private parties. For this reason, if you believe that your accident was the result of a road defect, you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible, as even a slight delay has the potential to result in an inability to file a claim.
Call a Boca Raton Personal Injury Attorney Today to Discuss Your Case
If you have been injured in a single vehicle accident, do not assume that the accident was your fault. You should always have an experienced Boca Raton car accident lawyer at Lavalle, Brown & Ronan review your case in order to find out whether any evidence of negligence exists. To schedule a consultation with one of our lawyers, call our office today at 888-646-1315.
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