Highway defects are a significant cause of car accidents. A defective highway can result from poor design, bad construction, or faulty maintenance. It is estimated that 20% of all fatal road accidents involve a single car that runs off a road or highway, often causing other accidents. While government officials argue that these accidents result from negligent drivers, defective highways may also be a part of the cause of these types of accidents. Highway defect accidents are complex and rather expensive to litigate. Local, state and federal government bodies that control roads and highways have strong defenses put in place to protect their interests. Therefore, litigating a highway defect case can be quite challenging.
Our Houston highway defect attorneys can assess whether a highway defect may have contributed to your motor vehicle accident that resulted in injuries to you or someone close to you. If so, they can help you bring legal action against the responsible party, usually a government body. A lawsuit can help you recover significant monetary compensation to pay for your accident-related expenses. Lawyers who successfully win cases on behalf of their client can also sometimes force government bodies to change the laws surrounding highway and road design and construction, making roads safer in the future. To learn more about your legal options, contact the lawyers at Williams Hart & Boundas today.Do I Need a Lawyer?
Highway defect cases can be complex to win against government bodies without an experienced highway defect lawyer. In highway defect cases, the defendant is not an insurance company or negligent motorist, but a city, county or state with more legal resources and funding to successfully prevent you from winning your case. Your attorney will need to have your vehicle inspected to rule out other causes of the accident. The experienced highway defect lawyer will also have a traffic engineer and an accident reconstruction expert, whose evaluation will help determine whether you, the client, has a case. Furthermore, your attorney will examine all the evidence to argue against governmental immunity.
Your attorney will need to proceed with substantial discovery, interviews, and depositions to show that the government knew or should have known of the defective highway. To successfully win a highway defect case against a government body. A lawyer will need to ensure that the road site is inspected and photographed, review all police reports and investigative reports about the defective highway, conduct interviews with all eye witnesses and bystanders. Without investigating and obtaining these facts, it will be difficult to win a case against a government body and a highway defect claim.
Why You Need Williams Hart & Boundas
The attorneys at Williams Hart & Boundas are knowledgeable when it comes to successfully litigating a highway defect case against a government body. Our attorneys will work efficiently and diligently to ensure that only the most competent representation of your case is made against the defendant. The lawyers at Williams Hart & Boundas have a proven track record in the Houston area in litigating highway defect claims against local or state government bodies. Our attorneys are more than willing to fight on your behalf to obtain the justice and compensation you deserve. Our lawyers are standing by to take on your case. Do not hesitate to contact us.
Do not be intimidated by the high costs associated with litigating a highway defect claim. Our law firm works on a contingency basis, meaning if we don’t win, you don’t pay. We have won billions for our clients in the past, and are ready to do the same for you. Our lawyers will work with you to ensure that all your worries and concerns in your case are addressed.
Cases We Handle
Highway defects can occur during the construction of highways or when the highways are being designed. Municipal agencies have a responsibility to respond to maintenance concerns when it is apparent that there are flaws in the construction or the design of a highway. There are a variety of causes of highway defects, including:
- Shoulder drop offs: If there is an unsafe shoulder drop off and your vehicle drives off the road, you may lose control of your vehicle and cause an accident.
- Water pooling: If a highway or road is poorly designed and causes pooling, a vehicle may hydroplane and cause an accident that results in injuries for the driver and others.
- Potholes: If a highway is not maintained, potholes may develop, causing drivers to lose control of their vehicles and cause accidents.
- Uneven pavement: If there is a difference in height on a highway, a vehicle may lose control and cause an accident
- Lack of signs: If there are not sufficient signs or missing signs, drivers may not be aware of certain hazards on highways.
- Lack of guardrails: If there are no guardrails where they are necessary on a highway, vehicles may drive off the road.
- Construction Negligence: If a highway or road is not constructed appropriately, accidents are more likely to occur.
- Placement of utility poles: If utility poles are not relocated to appropriate locations near a highway, vehicles may be more at risk of crashing into them.
If your accident was caused by these or other highway defects, Williams Hart & Boundas can help you take legal action. We can also talk to you and investigate your case if you are unsure what exactly caused your accident.
Choosing the right highway defect attorney can make a critical difference in the outcome of these types of cases, which must be fought against a well-financed government that may be immune from lawsuits. Local, state, and federal agencies have a duty to motorists and pedestrians in providing safe roadways. If a highway is not designed or maintained appropriately, drivers may sustain serious injuries or may even be killed.
If you or a loved one has been injured after an accident due to a highway defect, contact the Houston car accident attorneys at Williams Hart & Boundas today.
