Defective Road Accident

Oftentimes, an accident can happen even when there is no other vehicle involved. The actual road surface may be unsafe, due to a variety of causes.

The Florida defective road accident attorneys at Freeman Injury Law represent victims who have suffered serious injury when a defective road caused them to crash. We help victims and their families in Miami, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Maitland, Orlando and all surrounding communities by investigating the cause of your accident and fighting for the compensation you and your family deserve.

Things like uneven or broken paving, inadequate or missing signage, missing guardrails, inadequate lighting, malfunctioning traffic signals, overgrown vegetation and poor draining can all contribute to a serious crash on Florida roadways.

Sadly, Florida is home to several of what are called “America’s Most Deadly Roads”, a list compiled by thedailybeast.com, based on their analysis of traffic accidents on America’s highways from 2004 to 2008.

Their list divided total fatal accidents by the number of highway miles to determine the roads with the highest accident rates in the nation. The nation's Top 5 deadliest roads are:

1) I-95 in Florida: 382 miles/662 fatal accidents/765 fatalities/1.73 per mile.
2) I-76 in New Jersey: 3 miles/5 fatal accidents/6 fatalities/1.64 per mile.
3) I-4 in Florida: 132 miles/209 fatal accidents/234 fatalities/1.58 per mile.
4) I-15 in California: 287 miles/437 fatal accidents/506 fatalities/1.52 per mile.
5) I-10 in California: 243 miles/341 fatal accidents/387 fatalities/1.41 per mile.

Other Florida highways on the list:

15) I-75: 471 miles/536 fatal accidents/626 fatalities/1.14 per mile.
57) I-10: 362 miles/234 fatal accidents/272 fatalities/ .65 per mile.

Traffic crashes in Florida took 2,978 lives in 2008. Only California (3,434) and Texas (3,382) had more, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And a study by an economics professor at The University of Chicago determined that bad road conditions contributed to 52.7% of fatal collisions in the U.S.

A large portion of the nation’s highways are in poor shape, and in need of repair. When it comes to overpasses and bridges, the conditions can be even more dangerous. Engineers and traffic safely planners are attempting to curb the risk for accidents caused by poorly designed roads. Several Florida communities are tearing out the traffic lights at congested intersections and replacing them with a “round-about”, or traffic squares. This type of intersection design is very common in Europe, and has been shown to reduce the number of crashes at four-way stop corners.

The Transportation Construction Coalition commissioned a highway safety study that found that half of U.S. highway fatalities are related to deficient roadway conditions. The report, conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, found that 10 roadway-related crashes occur every minute (5.3 million a year) and that deficient road conditions also contribute to 38 percent of non-fatal injuries. Further, the report reveals that deficiencies in the roadway environment contributed to more than 22,000 fatalities and cost the nation more than $217 billion annually. The report concludes that making the roadway environment more protective and forgiving is essential to reducing highway fatalities and costs.

Unsafe road conditions are a more lethal factor than drunk driving, speeding or non-use of safety belts, according to the landmark study. The report is the first of its kind in more than 20 years, and examines the role and consequences of deficient roadway conditions in U.S. motor vehicle crashes.

The report also notes that roadway related crashes impose $20 billion in medical costs; $36 billion in productivity costs; $52 billion in property damage and other resource costs; and $99 billion in quality of life costs, which measure the value of pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life by those injured or killed in crashes and their families.

The Florida defective road injury lawyers at Freeman Injury Law stand against the government agencies, construction companies and municipalities responsible for unsafe conditions that lead to a serious or fatal crash. Our team will thoroughly review your case to determine the cause of the accident, and uncover whether there are any factors in which negligence in the road’s design or safety issues may have contributed.

Our law firm serves victims in Miami, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Maitland, Orlando and the surrounding cities with aggressive representation, and we will be by your side in your efforts to recover financial losses caused by your injuries, and to help ensure the financial well-being of you and your family.

Call our offices today to schedule a free, no obligation appointment to discuss your legal rights.

Freeman Injury Law – (800) 561-7777 -- Someone on YOUR Side