An Atlanta bridge collapse demonstrates that road issues may sometimes be to blame for car accidents.
At the end of March, a scary incident occurred on a major roadway in March, raising questions about the safety of our nation’s roads and bridges. A fire underneath the I-85 bridge in Atlanta caused it to collapse, disrupting traffic and closing this road indefinitely. Thankfully, nobody was hurt when the bridge collapsed.
The fire was allegedly started by a group of homeless men who were doing drugs under the bridge. The state Department of Transportation was storing road construction materials underneath, all of which were supposed to be non-combustible. As recently as two years ago, the bridge received high marks for stability and sufficiency, scoring 94.6 out of 100 for structural safety.
This fire may have been an isolated criminal incident, but it is concerning because it could have led to serious accidents, injuries, and even fatalities. It is unknown how the storage of non-combustible materials under a structurally sound bridge led to such a large fire and the collapse of a major bridge, even if those materials were purposefully set on fire.
When people think about personal injury cases, particularly those involving car crashes, they typically consider situations where another driver is at fault for the accident. However, the bridge fire in Atlanta demonstrates that in some cases, there may be other parties at fault, such as government entities that are responsible for maintaining roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
A skilled car accident attorney can thoroughly investigate the facts of an accident and determine whether there is another responsible party. Consider a situation where a city fails to properly maintain its roads, resulting in large potholes forming over time. If a car drives over a large pothole and suffers damage, and then the vehicle spins out of control as a result, an experienced car accident attorney may be able to demonstrate that it was the city’s failure to maintain the roads that led to the crash. Similarly, if a town did not properly trim hedges, trees, or other greenery along a road, blocking signs, a knowledgeable care accident attorney can use that as evidence that the collision was caused by the town’s failure — because if the driver had seen the signs, then they would have done something differently.
Each case is unique, and results depend on the facts of the specific case. A free initial case evaluation will help you understand your legal rights and options, including whether or not you may be able to file a lawsuit against a government entity.
At the Law Offices of Larry H. Parker, our attorneys are skilled at evaluating cases to determine all potential responsible parties, including individuals, businesses, and even governmental organizations and agencies. Contact our office today at 800-333-0000 or info@larryhparker.com to learn how we can help you if you have been hurt in an accident. We never charge a fee unless we recover money for you!
