Large Pothole on SR 99 Causes Problems for Highway Drivers
A freeway pothole caused an accident with several vehicles on August 20 along State Route 99 in Sacramento. The accidents were reported by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) at around 9:51 a.m. along northbound State Route 99 just south of the northbound U.S. 50 connector and involved an unreported number of vehicles. One person was said to have suffered an injury caused by the freeway pothole. According to the CHP report, a large pothole in the number three lane was the size of a basketball and six inches deep. It was located near 10th Avenue and the pedestrian overcrossing.
Government Negligence as the Cause of a Freeway Pothole Car Accident
A poorly maintained or designed roadway can lead to a traffic collision for a number of reasons. Roadways are maintained by different government entities, depending on the location, which can be the city, state, or county. In California, Caltrans maintains the highways. Knowing the jurisdiction of an area when placing a claim for injury compensation is important, and one can benefit from the advice of an injury lawyer. Some of the causes of an accident caused by a negligent government entity include:
- A freeway pothole cannot only result in serious damage to your vehicle but can cause the driver to lose control and crash into another car. A driver doesn’t always have the opportunity to switch lanes to avoid hitting a freeway pothole and, because they might have to slow down quickly or make an evasive maneuver at the last minute, their car can end up being rear-ended.
- Sinkholes or broken, cracked pavement are obvious problems that can lead to a serious accident. Broken or cracked pavement can lead to a motorcycle or bicycle crash with serious injuries.
- Weakened guardrails can end up not doing their job, which is protecting the vehicle from leaving the roadway and helping slow the car down. Guardrails that are too old or damaged can’t do what they were designed to and can cause unnecessary injuries and fatalities.
- Poor lighting along a roadway can result in accidents, especially after dark.
- Road construction debris can result in a serious accident.
- Poorly designed merge lanes can lead to a crash.
Filing Against a Government Entity
Public entities used to be immune to lawsuits by private citizens. However, this is no longer the case when the statutory framework is met. Unlike most other personal injury claims, the statute of limitations for filing against a government entity is six months. The government entity has to respond within 45 days. They can either approve the claim, reject it, or ignore it, which is similar to a rejection. If the claim was rejected, the injured party has six months in which to file a lawsuit. If it was ignored, they have two years from the date of the injury. An injury lawyer who has experience in handling government claim cases can help ensure that all paperwork is filed within the statute of limitations, handle the negotiations and see the case through to its conclusion.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, and I am a Sacramento car accident lawyer. Poor roadway maintenance can lead to serious injuries or even fatalities. If you were injured in an accident caused by poor roadway maintenance, we have free and friendly advice to offer you. Give us a call at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. You can also contact us online by sending us a message.
We are pleased to be members of the groups that follow, which show our dedication to helping our clients:
My legal team and I have helped many Sacramentans obtain the compensation they deserve following an accident injury caused by government negligence, all varieties of traffic collisions, wrongful deaths, and others.
If you would like more information about how we’ve helped others and cases we’ve handled, please visit:
Photo attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/pothole-road-kazakhstan-hole-1703340/
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