Our highway infrastructure was given a D+ grade for safety in a recent report card.
Though cars have become safer through advancements in engineering and technology, U.S. roadways remain dangerous. Just how safe are American highways? Not very, according to the D+ grade given to U.S. highway infrastructure in a recent report card.
Motorists are not aware of the many dangers they encounter every day when driving. If you or a loved one is injured in a car crash, contact Contigo Centro Legal. We will investigate your accident to determine if it was caused by a roadway defect or another hazard you may have never considered.
Examples of Roadway Defects and Hazards
Common hazards that put the traveling public at risk of serious injury include:
Defective guardrails. There are thousands of deadly guardrails on U.S. roadways that are defective. Due to design defects, these guardrails lock up when hit by a car and turn into spears that can slice right through a vehicle and seriously injure or kill its occupants.
Defective highway shoulders and pavement edge drop-offs. Highway shoulders provide a safe place for stopped vehicles, but they can be extremely dangerous if not maintained properly. Sometimes, an edge drop-off forms between the roadway and shoulder or between two travel lanes due to road construction, erosion or other causes. The height difference between the two surfaces often results in accidents where the vehicle leaves the roadway and the driver tries to return to the travel lane, causing the vehicle to fishtail or cross the center line and collide with oncoming traffic.
Improper highway signage installation. Signs on the sides of highways are supposed to break away from vehicles that collide with them. When road signs are improperly selected and installed, they can snap down and crush the roof of a colliding vehicle, causing serious injury to motorists.
Inadequate signage in construction zones. If safety devices, such as barriers or signage, are not properly set up in construction zones, they fail to warn drivers of potentially dangerous conditions and fail to safely guide them through the construction.
You have rights. Contact us today.
If you or your family member is injured due to a roadway defect or hazard, contact us today at 816-800-8000 or 800-883-0681. You can also use the form below.