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Many parties may be responsible for road debris damage in a car accident. It all depends on the source of the road debris. For example, if unsecured cargo from a truck dropped onto the road and caused your accident, you may have a lawsuit against the company that loaded the cargo on the truck. The state may be liable if the accident happened because of road construction. To learn who is responsible for road debris damage, it is important to seek out an experienced car accident attorney who can help navigate a personal injury claim and find out who is responsible for road debris damage. Call Regan Zambri Long PLLC today for a free initial consultation.
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Many factors can cause a road debris accident, such as unsecured loads falling from a negligent driver’s vehicle, dangerous road debris entering the roadway from a construction company, or even hazardous conditions left unattended by a government entity. In any of these cases, flying or other road debris can result in an auto accident with injuries.
Common examples of road debris accidents include:
Striking any of these objects can cause the driver to lose control, resulting in a secondary accident that may do even more harm than the object itself.
The most important thing to do in any car crash is to ensure the safety of anyone involved. Check to see who may be injured following the accident. If your car is movable, try to get it out of the traffic and guide it to a safer location, such as the shoulder or a parking lot. The last thing you want is to compound the problem by becoming a road hazard and creating more car accidents.
If the car is not moveable, put on your hazard lights and remain in your vehicle with your seatbelt on. Call the emergency services immediately to begin the police report and get medical attention for your injuries. When the police arrive, give them the facts about the accident and what caused it. Go to the hospital to get checked out, even if you don’t think you’re injured. Finally, contact a DC car accident lawyer to learn your legal options.
One major problem with road debris accidents is getting enough information on the at-fault party so they can be held responsible, allowing you to collect damages. This is because other parties may not be aware of items falling from their vehicle and may not know their road debris caused any damage. Allowing even one minute to pass after road debris is created means the other driver may be one mile or more away. This can make it extremely difficult to identify the liable party.
This is why contacting a skilled personal injury attorney like those at Regan Zambri Long PLLC is imperative. Our expert attorneys have experience in investigating these types of incidents. Whether it is interviewing witnesses, tracking down and reviewing the Department of Transportation traffic camera footage, or matching damage with components of the other driver’s vehicle, the expertise of the Regan Zambri Long PLLC attorneys will help you ensure the responsible party is held liable.
Several parties may share liability for road debris damage, including the other driver, road construction crews, shipping companies, and even the state or local government.
If your car accident was caused by flying debris from another vehicle on the road, that negligent driver is responsible for the item that fell off the car or truck and the resulting damage or personal injury.
If hazardous road conditions caused the debris that caused the car accident and resulting injuries, the government entity that controls that road could be at fault. This is especially true if it can be proven that the town, city, or municipality was made aware of the debris through a police report or other notification.
If the debris had fallen from an unsecured cargo truck, there may be a few responsible, such as the shipping company, the company who loaded the cargo, and the trucking company. An experienced truck accident lawyer can help you find who is responsible for unsecured cargo.
If the debris that caused the accident resulted from a manufacturing defect, even a motor vehicle company can share fault for your car accident.
Start by recognizing avoidable road debris on the road. If you identify debris that may cause injuries or damage to your vehicle, take another route and contact the appropriate authorities to inform them of the road debris. This allows them to fix the problem so a vehicle can avoid hitting the hazard in the first place and creates a record so they can be held accountable if they do not take action.
Keep your distance from vehicles with loads that appear unsecured. Insufficient tie-downs, straps, or a shifting load on the back of a truck should be avoided. Keep your car as far away as possible to prevent being hit by flying debris, and give you time to react should debris fall from the vehicle. If you can keep from driving directly behind semi-trucks, your chances of a road debris accident also drop significantly.
Like any serious car accident, the costs of road debris accidents can be very high. These costs may include:
All of these injury-related expenses can add up quickly and be overwhelming. Plus, the mental and emotional toll can be equally challenging. This is especially true for those who have suffered severe injuries and their family members. After all, it is not only the person injured in the accident that is affected.
Seek the help of a personal injury attorney at Regan Zambri Long to help you understand your legal options.
The attorneys at Regan Zambri Long have a long record of helping injury clients recover multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts. Contact our expert lawyers today for a free initial consultation and experience firsthand our top-notch attorney-client relationship and commitment to serving clients. Find out how we can help file a claim and recover the damages you suffered due to your road debris accident. Our attorneys stand ready to help you fight for you, allowing you to focus on what is most important: getting back to health and normalcy. Call 202-960-4596 today to schedule your free case evaluation.
