Have you been involved in a car accident in California that was caused by or made worse by dangerous road conditions? Is the government responsible for compensating you for your damages? They might be. Keep reading to learn more, and then contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
The Responsibility for Keeping Roads Safe
In most cases, the city, county, state, or federal government is responsible for maintaining roads that are under their jurisdiction. If this government entity does not maintain the road appropriately, then general theories of liability are clear that the government should be held accountable. If you are injured as a result of this lack of maintenance or upkeep, then it is possible that you can recover compensation for your injuries from the government entity that is tasked with maintaining these surfaces.
The Government Does Not Have to Respond Immediately to Dangerous Road Conditions
One of the issues that can come up in trying to hold the government responsible is that they are allotted a “reasonable” amount of time to discover dangerous road conditions and then another “reasonable” amount of time to repair the conditions. How much time the courts deem is “reasonable” depends on many factors.
The Government Could Be Held Responsible Even if They Did Not Know About an Unsafe Road Condition
If a government agency claims that they did not know about a dangerous condition, there are limits to how much this can help them. We could potentially still hold them liable if they should have discovered the problem.
For example, if there is a pothole in a street that has just shown up within a few weeks, then the court will likely deem it “reasonable” that the government has neither discovered the issue nor taken steps to rectify it. However, if it has been six months and the pothole persists, then the courts might find that whether the government knew about it or not, they should have.
Examples of Dangerous Road Conditions the Government Could Be Held Accountable For
Not all road conditions can be considered the fault of the government. However, some of those that can include cracks or potholes that cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle, issues with necessary guardrails, road signs that have been destroyed, have fallen, or cannot be read due to overgrown foliage, and damage to bridges and overpasses.
These are only a few examples of road conditions they could be held responsible for. Remember that if the government is the defendant, you have just six months to file a complaint. That is why we recommend contacting a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. You can contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 now for a free legal consultation.
