Road conditions throughout New York state remain just as dangerous as ever. According to the Federal Highway Administration’s 2011 annual survey of New York’s state transportation officials, approximately 51% of roads in New York City have been ranked as being in poor condition.
Potholes remain a significant problem in New York state. Dangerous road conditions cost Americans billions of dollars a year. Bad road conditions also cause significant personal injuries every year due to severe car accidents. In New York, the following dangerous road conditions remain a threat to the safety of the public.
Poorly Designed Roads
New York is one of the oldest states in the country. Some of the roadways in New York were designed before motor vehicles were invented. Poorly designed roads can cause accidents when drivers become confused. Some poorly designed roads are dangerously curved and prevent drivers from seeing other drivers, causing accidents. Roads can also have dangerous slopes and dips in their layout.
Additionally, some streets run parallel to drop-offs like ravines or cliffs that can cause drivers to become involved in fatal accidents. Car accidents might also happen when the roads are missing guardrails, or the roads might have defective guardrails. Finally, some roads fail to have the proper signage to warn drivers about hazardous conditions.
Defective Maintenance of New York Roads
New York City has a duty to maintain city-owned roads in order to keep them reasonably safe. When the agency in charge of maintaining the roads fails to keep them safe, the condition of the roads will deteriorate quickly. When the city does not maintain a road, the surface of the road wears out and dangerous potholes begin to develop.
A failure to replace broken-down guardrails can also contribute to car accidents. Another common failure to maintain roadways involves not painting clear markers on the road. Failing to maintain traffic lights and road signs can also cause traffic accidents, particularly at four-way stops.
Defective Road Construction
Roads constantly need to be repaired in order to remain safe. Conducting road work in a busy city can be dangerous, as well. For example, when a construction crew fails to post warning signs for drivers to slow down, accidents can occur. In some cases, when construction crews fail to use heavy machinery in a safe way, serious car accidents can take place. Additionally, poor workmanship and poorly trained construction workers can cause hazardous conditions on New York roads.
Contact Our Experienced New York City Personal Injury Lawyers
If you have suffered injuries caused by a car accident involving poorly designed or maintained roads, you might be able to bring a claim against New York City. Filing a personal injury lawsuit against a governmental entity can be complicated. Contacting a personal New York City personal injury lawyer will make the claim process easier and give you a better chance of recovering compensation for your injuries.
