2 Tips For Proving Negligence In An Auto Accident Caused By Poor Road Conditions

While it is important to be cognizant of other drivers on the road, your fellow drivers are not the only way that you can find yourself in an auto accident. Poor road conditions that consist of potholes, debris, unpaved roads and more can often result in auto accidents. These conditions create a surface that is not safe for drivers. Public roads are mostly maintained by government agencies. Therefore, if you find yourself in an auto accident due to poor road conditions, then you should try to prove that the government agency was negligent. Proving negligence will show that the agency is at fault for your car accident. Performing this step can be overwhelming, luckily, there are a few tips that you can use in order to prove that the government agency was negligent.

Determine if the Road was Regularly Maintained

Roads are regularly repaired and maintained based on the environment in which they are located. If your road is located on a busy highway in a rainy climate, then it will need to be repaired and maintained more regularly. The constant flow of cars will cause the road to wear away quicker than roads that are located in less travelled areas. In addition, if the road experiences heavy rainfall on a regular basis, then the rainfall will cause erosion. As a result, you can check with your state or city government to see how often repairs and maintenance were scheduled to be performed and if the repairs were actually performed. If the repairs, were not performed, then you can use this as evidence of negligence in your case.    

See if the Road was Constructed Using Inadequate Materials

Paving and repaving old roads can quickly eat up the budget set aside for city maintenance. Often times the budget can go a little further if cheaper materials are used. While this may be cheaper initially, this can cause problems later on down the line when the road begins to fall part. You can visit your city's planning and building department to find out what materials they used to construct the road. The materials used depends on the environment of where the road is located. Roads that are located in rainy and snowy areas will need to be constructed out of non-porous materials to ensure that the extra moisture is not absorbed by the road. However, a large number of roads are constructed using concrete, gravel and asphalt.

Auto accidents can be caused by a number of reasons, including poor road conditions. Therefore, use these tips to help gather proof of negligence against the responsible party. For further assistance, contact a local auto accident lawyer.