More people are injured in motor vehicle accidents in New Jersey than any other type of accident. Motor vehicle accidents are not all caused by the negligence of other drivers, but are often caused by dangerous road conditions. No matter how responsible or cautious a driver is, when a dangerous condition creeps up on an unknowing victim, unnecessary harm and trauma is often the result. A motor vehicle is, after all, a deadly weapon and conditions that hinder its safe operation lead to dangerous situations, which very often could have been avoided.
Dangerous road conditions are the responsibility of property owners, construction crews and the governing officials who have hired those crews. There are a variety of dangerous road conditions that amount to negligence when they are permitted to exist. For example, potholes, unevenly paved roads, obstructed traffic signs, obstructed roadways, poorly or unsafely planned construction areas, construction refuse, unsigned curves, overgrown trees/plants and any other condition that is permitted to exist in an area of travel that could impede the sight or affect the travel of a driver may be considered negligence. Such conditions are the responsibility of the person or entity charged with creating or permitting the condition to exist.
Some of these conditions are more obvious than others and can therefore be more easily avoided. However, other conditions, such as those created by improperly repaired roads, are hazards that often go unnoticed until too late. All it takes is for one person to be affected by a dangerous road condition, and that one person may end up injuring numerous people in a multi-car crash. If you feel as though you have been injured as the result of a dangerous road condition, a condition that could have very well been corrected by the governing body in your town or city, then please contact us immediately.
Deborah Dunn is an Associate in Stark & Stark’s Marlton, New Jersey office, concentrating in Accident & Personal Injury Law. For more information, please contact Ms. Dunn.