Did a Road Hazard Cause your Car Accident?
There are a lot of jokes going around about the state of Ohio’s streets due to the fact that they are full of potholes. However, there’s nothing funny about a car accident that’s caused by these road hazards. All that it takes is one swerve out of the way at the wrong time and you could end up hitting another vehicle on the road; and whose fault is the accident? This is where it gets tricky.
Road Hazards and Accidents
While some road hazards, such as icy streets or those covered in multiple inches of snow, create poor driving conditions, they aren’t nearly as bad as potholes. Winter weather conditions ‘scream’ road warnings so that you can plan ahead of time and drive cautiously. Potholes are a different story altogether. Some are unavoidable, due to the fact that they take up entire sections of roadways; and when you do try to avoid one, you could end up crashing your car – or worse, have someone else crash into you. On top of this, potholes cause damage to cars, such as flat tires, broken tie rod ends, and more. This shouldn’t be the case.
Cities Can’t Keep Up With the Road Conditions
Many cities claim they can’t keep up with the roads due to a lack of funding. They have a limited amount of money allocated for road repairs each year, so they must choose which roads to repave very carefully. They also have hotlines in place so that residents can notify them about potholes and other repairable road hazards. This doesn’t mean they are obligated to go out and make those repairs.
What Causes Potholes?
There are two contributing factors involved in Ohio road conditions. The first is the weather. Cold winters followed by hot, humid summers, cause the roadways to expand and contract, thus triggering their surfaces to crack. Once a snowplow hits one of these upraised cracks, a pothole forms. The other cause is due to neglect. Cities are not keeping up with the repairs. This could make them liable for any accidents that happen due to potholes.
Were You In a Car Accident Caused By a Pothole?
If you were in a car accident caused by a road hazard, such as a pothole, you need to contact me. These accidents shouldn’t happen, because the roads need to be properly maintained. It’s my job to help determine exactly who is liable for the damage to your vehicle. I’ll Make Them Pay!®
