Bad roads can lead to personal injury or wrongful death claims in Fort Lauderdale
NPR reported the tragic story of a young mother who was killed in an accident caused by a common pothole.
Our Palm Beach wrongful death attorneys and personal injury lawyers understand that an accident can be caused by many factors in addition to the carelessness of another driver. Potholes and deteriorating roads are one common cause. Missing guardrails, malfunctioning traffic signals, poor road design and obtrusive vegetation are also common causes. In still other cases, poor road design and lack of proper maintenance can either increase a motorist's risk of an accident or increase his or her risk of serious or fatal injury when an accident occurs.
In such cases, a local government or homeowner's association can be held liable for damages. In this case, the woman was riding with her family along a stretch of Interstate 20 in South Carolina that was covered with ruts and crumbling concrete. A passing car turned a chunk of concrete into a projectile that flew through the windshield and struck her in the head.
The 33-year-old woman died the next day.
Bloomberg reports Florida is facing a $3.6 billion deficit. Other states, including Illinois, have reacted this week by passing drastic tax increases. Many changes are afoot in Florida. The state has a new governor. Many local city and county governments are struggling financially and well on their way to sneaking up behind voters to grab their wallet through increased taxes and higher fees. In some areas, charges to victims in need of emergency medical service are either being instituted or increased, despite the fact that those same taxpayers pay to operate the fire departments in the first place.
And, of course, many builders and planned communities have fallen on hard times, often leaving communities partially built, without sidewalks and, in some cases, without roads or with roads that are increasingly in a state of disrepair.
NPR reports 145 lives could be saved over a 10-year period for every $100 million in road and maintenance improvements. When a motorist is injured or killed because of a defective road, he or she is entitled to collect payment for medical bills, lost wages and other damages.
