Poor road maintenance, inadequate signage, and defective highway design cause thousands of preventable crashes every year across the Sunshine State. When you suffer injuries due to the failure to maintain safe roadways, you deserve full compensation for your losses. Contact Cardoso Law, PLLC, today to schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation with an experienced Florida road hazard accident attorney who will fight relentlessly for your rights to maximum recovery.
What Are Roadway Hazards?
Roadway hazards encompass any dangerous condition on or adjacent to a road that creates an unreasonable risk of harm to drivers, passengers, pedestrians, or bicyclists. These defects often lead to personal injury claims arising from car accidents, truck collisions, motorcycle crashes, and pedestrian or bicyclist incidents.
Who Is Liable for Causing Road Hazard Injuries?
Multiple parties may be held legally responsible when dangerous road defects result in car accident injuries. Determining liability requires a thorough investigation into who controlled the roadway and whether they met their duty to maintain safe conditions. They may include the following:
- Government Entities – State, county, and municipal governments are responsible for maintaining most public roads and highways. They are required to conduct regular inspections and address reported hazards within a reasonable period after being notified.
- Private Property Owners – Shopping centers, apartment complexes, and businesses control parking lots and private access roads. Property owners must maintain these areas in a reasonably safe condition for visitors and promptly address any hazardous conditions.
- Contractors and Engineers – Construction companies and design professionals can face liability when their negligent work creates dangerous conditions. Engineering firms may be held accountable for faulty road design that leads to preventable collisions.
- Utility Companies – These entities sometimes create hazards during the installation or maintenance of their work. They must properly mark work zones, properly fill excavations, and restore road surfaces to safe conditions.
Common Road Defects That Cause Accidents
Numerous types of roadway defects contribute to serious accidents throughout Florida. These hazards frequently include the following:
- Potholes and pavement deterioration
- Missing or obscured traffic signs
- Inadequate guardrails on curves or bridges
- Poorly designed merges or intersections
- Faded or absent lane markings
- Defective traffic signals
- Dangerous shoulder drop-offs
- Inadequate lighting in high-traffic areas
- Debris or obstructions in travel lanes
- Uneven pavement transitions
- Standing water or inadequate drainage
- Broken or missing maintenance hole covers
Why Do I Need a Dangerous Road Condition Accident Lawyer in Florida?
Road hazard claims present unique legal challenges that require extensive knowledge and resources. We understand the complex procedural requirements and legal doctrines that apply to car accident claims against government entities and other defendants, which include the following:
- Suing Government Entities – Florida law imposes strict notice requirements and shortened deadlines when filing claims against state or local governments.
- Damage Caps – Government defendants often benefit from statutory caps that limit the amount of compensation available in road hazard cases.
- Proving Fault – Establishing that a dangerous condition caused your auto accident requires demonstrating that the defendant knew or should have known about the hazard.
- Calculating Damages – Road hazard accidents often result in catastrophic injuries that generate substantial economic and non-economic losses.
- Negotiating Full Settlements – Insurance companies and government risk management departments frequently undervalue road hazard claims. We leverage our litigation reputation to negotiate settlements that fully compensate you without accepting lowball offers.
- Litigating Cases – Many car accident attorneys settle cases too quickly because they lack trial experience. Our willingness to take cases to verdict motivates defendants to offer fair compensation during settlement negotiations, as they recognize that we are committed to pursuing justice.
Why Choose Our Team for a Florida Road Hazard Accident Case
Cardoso Law, PLLC, brings a combination of legal skill, trial experience, and genuine client care to every road hazard case we handle. Our team features an award-winning trial attorney dedicated to holding negligent parties accountable for maintaining unsafe roadways. We stand apart by providing the following:
- Cardoso Cares – We provide accessible representation with an attorney who returns calls promptly and keeps you informed throughout the legal process. Our Pensacola car accident lawyer approaches every case with relentless determination to seek maximum recovery while treating you with the respect and compassion you deserve during a difficult time.
- Personalized Approach – We reject the volume-based model that many firms use to handle personal injury lawsuits. Instead, we limit our caseload to ensure each client receives individualized attention and a customized legal strategy tailored to the unique circumstances of their road hazard accident.
- Experience – With over 16 years of experience handling complex personal injury claims throughout Florida, our road hazards accident attorneys understand the nuances of road hazard litigation. We have developed relationships with expert witnesses and mastered the legal procedures required to succeed against well-funded government and corporate defendants.
- Proven Track Record – Our firm has recovered tens of millions of dollars for clients injured by dangerous road conditions and other forms of negligence. We measure success not by the number of cases we handle but by the life-changing results we achieve for injured individuals and families.
Compensation Available in Road Defect Accident Claims
Victims of road hazard accidents may pursue various damages depending on the severity of their injuries and the impact on their lives. Florida law allows recovery for both economic losses and intangible harms resulting from dangerous roadway conditions, such as the following:
- Medical expenses (past and future)
- Lost wages and employment benefits
- Reduced earning capacity
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish and emotional distress
- Permanent disability or disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium for spouses
- Wrongful death benefits for families
- Property damage to vehicles or personal belongings
Your PIP Benefits Are Still Primary in a Road Hazard Accident
Florida’s no-fault insurance system requires drivers to carry personal injury protection (PIP) coverage that pays up to $10,000 for medical bills and lost wages, regardless of who caused the accident. However, PIP benefits rarely cover the full cost of serious injuries, which means you can still pursue a claim against the responsible party for damages exceeding your policy limits.
At Cardoso Law, PLLC, we help you coordinate benefits while building a strong liability case to recover full compensation beyond what PIP provides.
What to Do After a Road Hazard Accident
Taking the right steps immediately after a road hazard collision helps protect your health and strengthens your legal claim. After calling 911 and reporting the accident, documenting the scene and seeking medical attention should be your top priorities following any crash. You should do the following:
- Photograph the road defect from multiple angles to capture its full extent.
- Capture images of skid marks, debris, and vehicle damage.
- Note the exact location using landmarks or GPS coordinates.
- Identify and speak with witnesses who saw the accident.
- Request a copy of the police crash report.
- Seek medical evaluation even if injuries seem minor.
- Keep all medical records and bills related to treatment.
- Avoid giving recorded statements to insurance adjusters.
- Contact a qualified road hazards accident attorney before discussing a settlement.
How We Investigate and Prove Road Design Errors
Building a winning road hazard case requires thorough investigation and compelling evidence that a dangerous condition caused your injuries. At Cardoso Law, PLLC, our legal team employs multiple investigative techniques to establish liability and document the full extent of your damages. These include the following:
- Scene Inspections – We visit accident locations promptly to photograph hazards, measure dimensions, and assess visibility conditions. Our team documents the defect before the responsible party makes repairs that could eliminate evidence supporting your claim.
- Maintenance Records – We obtain government records showing when officials last inspected the roadway and the complaints they received regarding the hazard. These documents often reveal that authorities were aware of the hazardous condition but failed to rectify it within a reasonable timeframe.
- Expert Analysis – We employ accident reconstruction specialists, engineers, and traffic safety experts to determine whether the road design meets applicable standards. These professionals provide testimony explaining how the defect caused your crash and what the responsible party should have done to prevent it.
- Witness Statements – We interview drivers, residents, and business owners who can testify about the dangerous condition and prior accidents at the same location. Multiple incidents involving the same hazard strengthen arguments that the defendant had notice of the problem.
- Engineering Standards – We review federal and state highway design guidelines to demonstrate violations of accepted safety practices. Showing that a road defect violated industry standards helps establish that the responsible party breached its duty of reasonable care.
FAQs
What qualifies as negligent road design?
Negligent road design includes inadequate sight distances, confusing signage placement, improperly banked curves, and intersections that fail to meet traffic engineering standards. Design professionals must adhere to established safety principles to prevent foreseeable accidents.
What deadlines apply to Florida road hazard accident claims?
Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a) establishes a four-year statute of limitations for negligence claims involving road hazards. Claims against government entities must be served with notice within three years, as specified in Florida Statutes § 768.28, with significantly shorter notice periods applicable to certain municipalities.
Can government agencies be sued for road design errors?
Yes, but Florida’s sovereign immunity statute limits recovery to $200,000 per person or $300,000 per incident against government defendants. Private entities face no such caps, making it important to identify all potentially liable parties.
How much does it cost to hire a roadway defects lawyer?
At Cardoso Law, PLLC, we handle road hazard cases on a contingency fee basis. This ensures you pay nothing upfront or out of pocket for us to take your case; we only get paid when you do.
Contact a Road Hazard Accident Attorney in Pensacola Today
Dangerous road conditions cause devastating injuries that change lives forever, and you should not bear the financial burden when a government entity or property owner fails to maintain safe roadways. Call Cardoso Law, PLLC, at our Pensacola office or reach out online to schedule a free consultation with a reputable Florida road hazard accident attorney. We have a history of winning. Let us put our experience to work for you.