Road defects in St. Petersburg, FL, play a role in only a small percentage of the city’s car accidents. However, with the enormous volume of crashes in Florida, dozens of motorists suffer injury or death in these road defect accidents annually. You deserve maximum compensation after this type of accident, and we can help.
People injured due to road defects may have legal claims against other drivers or even the government agency responsible for maintaining the road. A St. Petersburg road defect accident lawyer from Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers identifies the parties liable for your injuries and guides you through the claims process. Call us today at (727) 314-5988 or contact us online for more information.
How Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Road Defect Accident in St. Petersburg, FL
Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers has been known as “the aggressive attorneys” for over two decades. Since our founding, our firm has successfully recovered tens of millions of dollars in financial compensation for accident victims in St. Petersburg, Florida.
After you get injured in a car accident caused by the negligence of others, our legal team assists you with the following:
- Evaluating your situation and identifying the legal claims you may have
- Investigating your accident to gather evidence
- Filing injury compensation claims and negotiating to settle them
- Taking your case to court if a settlement is not possible
Crashes caused by road defects can cause serious injuries that require costly medical care. Contact Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with a St. Petersburg car accident attorney to discuss your injuries and the compensation you can seek under Florida law.
Road Defect Accident Statistics
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), only about 2% of car accidents result from environmental conditions, including poor weather, slick surfaces, and road defects. Instead, most crashes happen because of driving errors.
Florida’s numbers are much higher than those found in the nationwide study. Out of 975,565 crash reports in 2023 that described road conditions, 916,154 stated that it did not play a part in the crash. In other words, road conditions were cited as a contributing factor in roughly 6% of Florida traffic crashes.
How Road Defects Cause Crashes
These numbers are not necessarily inconsistent because they are directed to different statistics. The national study only focused on the critical cause of crashes, while Florida’s statistics cited contributing factors, including non-critical factors. Thus, the state’s statistics include crashes where a road defect contributed without being the critical cause.
Specifically, some crashes result from road defects without any other contributing factor. As a result, a driver traveling in a mechanically sound vehicle at the speed limit might lose control of their vehicle upon hitting a pothole and swerve into a guardrail. In this case, the pothole was the critical cause of the accident.
However, other crashes result from a combination of road defects and risky driving. For example, roads develop tire ruts if they are not maintained. Rain can make these roads slick when water pools in the ruts.
Suppose that a driver is speeding on a worn-out road during a rainstorm. They lose control of their vehicle and crash into another vehicle when they begin to hydroplane on the water in the rut. In this situation, the road defect contributed to the crash, but it was not the critical factor. Instead, the police might classify it as a speeding accident.
Liability for Road Defect Crashes
The liability for a road defect crash depends on its causes. Several parties might bear at least a portion of the liability for a collision.
Drivers
A negligent driver may try to shift blame to a road defect. However, if their negligence contributed to your injuries, you likely have a legal claim against them. You can prove negligence by showing the driver did something unreasonably dangerous, like driving under the influence, that led to the crash.
Government Agencies
Under Florida’s Tort Claims Act, government agencies can be held liable for injuries caused by negligence. If an agency was negligent in repairing or maintaining the roads under its jurisdiction, you may have a legal claim when the resulting road defects cause you to crash.
Private Businesses
Private businesses must exercise reasonable care when performing services for others. This doctrine is relevant when you get injured on a private road or a public road maintained by a private company. For example, if you are injured in a road defect crash in a gated community, you might have a claim against the management company and its road contractor.
Contact Our St. Petersburg Road Defect Accident Attorneys for a Free Consultation
Road defect collisions may involve complex legal and evidentiary issues, particularly when the crash resulted from multiple factors. Contact Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your crash and how we can seek injury compensation from those responsible for it. Our St. Petersburg road defect accident attorneys work on contingency, so we only get paid if we secure compensation for you.
