Every day, motorists unknowingly encounter a range of hazards that put them at serious risk of harm. A few of the issues plaguing U.S. roadways include:
· Defective highway shoulders and unsafe pavement edge drop-offs.
· Improper highway signage installation.
· Inadequate signage in construction zones.
Below are a few examples of roadway defect and signage hazard cases our firm has successfully litigated and resolved for substantial recoveries.
Unsafe Pavement Edge Drop-off
Unsafe construction practices on a Missouri highway caused our client’s right front tire to drop off a 4-inch asphalt ledge, which had been left by the defendant during the process of resurfacing the highway. As a result, our client lost control over her vehicle and swerved into the opposite lane of traffic, which was still under construction and was about 1-inch lower in height than our client’s original travel lane. As our client tried to return the vehicle to the travel lane, the vehicle overturned two times, causing her to sustain severe and permanent injuries that ultimately rendered her quadriplegic.
Improper Highway Signage Installation
A Missouri teenager was catastrophically injured when his vehicle went into a grass median and struck a highway sign post that did not break away from his vehicle as intended. Because the sign was installed backward – in the opposite direction of highway traffic – the sign post snapped down toward his vehicle, crushing the roof of the teen’s truck and paralyzing him. The case was settled with the highway design consultant that selected the type and location of the sign post; the general contractor for the highway project; and the signing subcontractor involved in the installation.
Inadequate Construction Zone Signage
An Arizona man was driving to work one morning when he came upon construction on a two-way divided road that was barricaded. Traffic was being funneled to the inside lane at the point in the roadway where a 6-inch raised median jetted out into the travel lane; however, there were no markings, lighting or signage to alert traffic of the raised median. Our client’s left front tire made contact with the raised median, causing him to lose control of his vehicle, flip and cross the opposite lanes of traffic. Despite wearing a seatbelt, our client suffered severe and permanent injuries, including paralysis.
Contact Langdon & Emison
For more than 30 years, Langdon & Emison has helped people who have been injured or lost loved ones in auto accidents cased by defective highway signage and other roadway hazards. If you have been injured in an accident, or if you are evaluating a case involving a highway defect or signage hazard, contact Langdon & Emison at 866-931-2115 or by email.
