Defective Road Accidents in South Carolina

There are many ways to get into an accident while traveling the roads and highways of South Carolina. One cause of crashes that travelers in South Carolina should not face are accidents caused by defective and dangerous roadways. Our state is not unique in the nation when it comes to inadequate spending on infrastructure such as roads and bridges. However, the government of South Carolina can and should do better when it comes to its roads.

In 2015, the National Transportation Research Group authored a report on the status of the roads and highways of South Carolina. The report indicated that almost half of the major roads and highways were in poor condition and needing significant construction and repair. Also, the Secretary of the Department of Transportation of South Carolina gave the condition of its roads a grade of “D.” Therefore, it is not surprising that on a national level, roadway conditions are a factor in a third of all traffic fatalities.

Dangerous and defective roads can cause serious accidents and serious injuries, even fatalities. A road can either be damaged in some way and not repaired in a timely manner or it can be defectively designed in a way that increases the likelihood of accidents. Here are some of the more common defects:

• Dangerous and deep shoulder drop offs: When the shoulder of a roadway is either designed improperly with a steep drop off or it deteriorates causing a sharp drop off, then this can cause serious accidents. A driver could inadvertently drift to the edge of the road for a moment and the vehicle’s wheels could get caught in the drop off, pulling the vehicle off the road. At this point it is easy for the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash.

• Potholes: Driving over potholes can damage your car. But if the pothole is big enough or in the wrong place, it can cause the vehicle to lose a wheel and become uncontrollable.

• Water pooling: This is a very dangerous design defect in certain roads. The road can appear in perfect condition during normal weather. However, when there is heavy rain, water can pool on the roadway, causing vehicles to hydroplane off the road.

• Lack of guardrails: Guardrails can help make what would possibly be a very serious accident into a minor one. When there is a lack of guardrails on the side of the road looking over a deep ravine or cliff, a simple accident can turn deadly if the out of control vehicle goes into the ravine.

There are many more examples of defective road designs and conditions. If you have been injured in an accident that you believe was caused by or contributed by a defective road, please do not hesitate to contact the lawyers at Steinberg Law firm at (843) 720-2800. We can answer your questions and help you recover the damages to compensate you for your injuries. The initial consultation is free.