Who can be liable for a car accident caused by road debris?

Even the most careful drivers can suffer car accidents when the roadway is littered with debris. Dropped cargo, tire treads, and roadkill can clutter highways and city streets, putting drivers and their passengers at risk. When these accidents occur, who’s responsible for paying the costs of medical bills and property damage?

Road Debris That Can Cause Serious Accidents and Injuries

Debris accidents can occur after trucks spill cargo onto the roadway, items fall from car roofs or trunks, or items are left on the side of the road. In most cases, debris crashes are caused by items that are low to the ground and difficult to see, appearing just seconds before they slide under a driver’s wheels.

Even if you manage to avoid hitting objects in the road, you and your passengers may still be injured by:

Evasive maneuvers.

Many people instinctively swerve to avoid an unexpected object directly in their driving path, sending them into a head-on collision with vehicles in an adjacent lane of traffic.

Sudden braking.

Drivers who slam on the brakes when they see an object in the road may cause a rear-end collision as cars pile up behind them.

Falling debris.

Sometimes debris doesn’t drop onto the roadway but falls directly from an overpass or another vehicle onto a driver’s roof or windshield.

Road conditions.

Contact with potholes and spilled gravel can cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles, sending them into guardrails and ditches or causing them to sideswipe vehicles in the next lane.

If you were injured by road debris, there could be a number of parties at fault for the accident. The nature of the debris will ultimately determine the person who was negligent. Trucking carriers may be liable for spilling unsecured cargo, other drivers can be liable for failing to secure bikes or large items before driving, and municipal governments may be responsible for road maintenance issues.

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