Dangerous Conditions on an Onramp to the Northbound 57 Freeway in San Dimas – Defective Road Injury Attorneys
Locals are unhappy with a freeway onramp and the number of rollover crashes that occur almost every time it rains in the area. According to a local businessowner, in the three years that they have been in the area, there have been at least ten incidents – all of which have led to employee and customer vehicles in the business parking lot being struck.
The latest incident was captured on surveillance video – an SUV runs off the ramp and rolls down the embankment before crashing through a fence and landing on a parked car. The incident happened Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at the onramp to the Northbound 57 Freeway off Arrow Highway and ended behind the Salvage Hair Studio in San Dimas.
Jessica Davenport, a stylist at the hair salon, witnessed the crash. She is seen on surveillance rushing to the SUV, which landed upside down leaving the driver trapped inside. Another stylist at the salon, Deborah Briones, states that they are afraid that someone might get killed. In fact, on rainy days, they tell their customers not to park on the side of the lot closest to the freeway to avoid the risk of their cars being damaged.
Locals state that the crashes appear to happen when there is light rainfall which causes the road to become slick. As drivers accelerate at the top of the freeway onramp, their cars spin out and roll down the embankment into the business parking lot below. The locals have allegedly contacted both Caltrans and city officials about installing K-rails or guardrails at the top of the onramp to prevent crashes in the future; still, no action has been taken.
Although there is no information on the injuries that have occurred, these incidents have probably resulting in many different injuries as vehicles tend to roll over after drivers lose control as the speed up on the onramp to enter the freeway. If you or a loved one suffered harm in an incident associated with the defective freeway onramp – whether you were traveling in a vehicle that rolled off the ramp or you were in or around a vehicle below in the local business parking lot – you could have the right to sue.
For more information about the legal options available to you and your family, we recommend that you seek legal assistance with the experts here at our law firm immediately. Our legal team here at the Downtown L.A. Law Group is more than ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to explore the legal options available to you and fight for your rights.
Our lawyers have decades of experience handling all sorts of personal injury claims, including those caused by incidents associated with defective road conditions. If you are ready to speak to the lawyers here at the Downtown L.A. Law Group, contact us today. Our legal team is more than ready to help you every step of the way.
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Car accidents can lead to many injuries. These incidents can result in some of the following injuries: head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries; neck injuries; back injuries; spinal cord injuries; fractures, including rib fractures, leg fractures, arm fractures; puncture injuries, including punctured organs due to impalement; crushing injuries; severed limbs; burn injuries; road rash; lacerations; scrapes and bruises. As explained in the incident above, the cars roll off the embarkment onto the parking lot below. Of course, those in the cars involved in the crash can be injured. However, those in parked cars and pedestrians that recently exited parked cars or walking/standing near parked cars can also be injured.
Understanding Liability for Incidents Caused by Dangerous Road ConditionsRoads are maintained by city entities. Caltrans, for example, is responsible for freeway road conditions. As briefly mentioned above, locals have contacted Caltrans and city officials asking them to install guardrails or k-rails on the onramp to prevent vehicles from rolling down the embarkment into their parking lots. Still, nothing has been done even though there have been countless incidents.
So, who is liable for these incidents? Caltrans is responsible for ensuring that road conditions are safe for everyone on the road. This means that they must ensure that roads/onramps are properly designed, that there are proper speed limit signs posted, that there are proper warning signs posted, and that there are guardrails when appropriate. In cases like the one discussed above in which there have been both multiple incidents and locals reaching out asking for the hazard to be addressed, it is important that the entity takes action to address the dangerous condition and prevent further accidents. After all, the entity is responsible for keeping road conditions safe.
What does this all mean? Caltrans could be responsible for any harm resulting from incidents associated with the defectively designed onramp. In other words, Caltrans could be liable and could be sued by victims and their families.
For more information about liability and your right to sue, contact us today.
Can I Sue Caltrans for Injuries Resulting from a Poorly Designed Freeway Onramp?Yes – you could have the right to sue Caltrans for any injuries resulting from an incident caused by a defective road design. Can I sue Caltrans for wrongful death if a member of my family lost his or her life in an accident? Yes, you can certainly have the right to sue for wrongful death. For more information about your right to file a lawsuit, contact the experts here at our law firm today.
Can I Recover Compensation?Yes – you could be awarded compensation. Based on the details surrounding your claim, you could be eligible to recover compensation for medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, property damage, punitive damages, and legal costs. In cases of wrongful death, claimants could be eligible to recover compensation for loss of financial support and funeral/burial costs. Here at our law firm, our team is ready to go above it all to help our clients recover the highest settlement available for your claim.
Our team is often approached with many questions including what is the average value of injury claims against Caltrans for defective roads? This is a difficult question to answer. Because Caltrans is a government entity, claims are often associated with higher values. However, case values depend on many factors, including the severity of the injuries sustained, whether the injuries were permanent, and more. In general, car accident claims involving Caltrans can be worth anywhere from $100,000 to $700,000; however, case values can often surpass this range.
Another common question is how long does it take to settle claims against Caltrans after a car accident? The settlement time for these types of cases can vary significantly case to case. In general, our team can settle these cases in under eight months; however, some cases can take closer to two years to settle. Whatever the case, our team will always work towards reaching a settlement within a reasonable length of time.
Caltrans is a government entity; therefore, after an accident, claimants must file government claims directly with the entity. These claims must be filed within six months. Depending on whether the entity responds or not, then claimants can have either six months or two years to file a civil lawsuit. For more information about the total length of time that you have to file your claim, we recommend that you seek legal assistance with the experts here at our law firm as soon as possible.
Contact the Downtown L.A. Law GroupOur legal team is more than ready to provide you with the representation that you need to pursue your claim and recover the payout that you are owed. Our firm offers free legal services, which include free consultations and free second opinions. During these free legal services, our expert legal team will be available to answer all your questions, address all your concerns, and provide you with absolutely all the information that you need to begin or continue your case against Caltrans or any other negligent entity. To benefit from these free legal services and speak with our lawyers, contact us today.
Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that our clients will never be required to pay upfront legal costs. In addition, we work on a strict contingency structure; therefore, our clients will not be responsible for legal costs unless they win their claims. If you do not win, you will not pay anything.
If you are ready to speak with our lawyers, contact us today. Our team is more than ready to help!
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