Arizona Negligent Highway Design Lawyers

Bad Roads and Highways in Arizona

Arizona’s highways are important roads that connect cities and help business across the state.

Sometimes these roads are not well made or looked after. Poor road design and maintenance can turn roads into unsafe hazards that cause serious accidents and injuries.

People hurt by bad road and highway design deserve justice, and that’s where Studnicki Law Firm steps in. Our Arizona negligent highway design lawyers can help.

We are a top law firm with decades of experience helping injured people and their families. We are dedicated to fighting for the rights of those that are harmed by dangerous roads by making sure that those at fault are responsible. Our results and reviews speak for themselves.

Get a free consultation with an experienced Arizona negligent highway design lawyer. Call us at (480) 361-2442 or fill out our contact form. We’re ready to assist you.

Understanding Bad Road and Highway Design in Arizona

Negligent Design

Negligent road design means that a road wasn’t made, built, or kept up properly to keep drivers and pedestrians safe. This can include many problems, including:

• Not enough road signs
• Poorly placed or obstructed road signs
• Bad lane setups
• No guardrails
• Broken guardrails
• Guardrails that don’t work properly
• Hard-to-see curves
• Risky curves
• Poor lighting
• Faulty traffic lights
• Dangerous intersections
• Missing median barriers
• Missing or too narrow road edges
• Water that pools on the road or bad drainage

Examples of bad road design in Arizona could be:

• Bad intersections that cause many crashes
• Not enough room on the side of the road, causing cars to go off the road
• Bad drainage that makes roads slippery or flooded during rains

These design mistakes can lead to accidents that result in serious injuries, property damage, and even loss of life.

Negligent Construction and Maintenance

Sometimes, even if a road or highway was designed correctly, it can still be unsafe. This can happen because of:

• Poorly built roads or highways
• Bad upkeep of roads or highways
• Traffic lights that don’t work
• Guardrails that are broken or damaged
• Hazards from construction work
• Lack of warnings in construction zones
• Not clearing ice and snow
• No barriers in the road median

Our experienced Arizona negligent highway design lawyers can help you find out if a road or highway was badly designed, built, or maintained, and help you with your case.

Who is Responsible for an Accident Caused by a Bad Road

Figuring out who is to blame for an accident caused by a dangerous road or highway can be tricky and usually needs a thorough investigation.

In some cases, multiple groups of people may be responsible for a crash. Examples of potential parties who maybe at fault include:

1. Government bodies: This includes state, county, or city governments that look after designing, building, and keeping roads and highways safe. They could be at fault if a road was not properly designed or maintained.
2. Engineering companies: The engineers and companies that design highways and roads might be blamed if their designs are flawed or not safe enough.
3. Construction companies: The firms that build or update highways and roads might be responsible if their construction work causes an accident.
4. Other drivers: Sometimes, accidents from bad road design or maintenance might partly be because of other drivers. For example, if a driver is going too fast or not driving safely and gets into an accident on a bad road, both the driver and the bad road might be responsible for the crash.

To find out who is to blame for an accident, a detailed investigation is usually needed. This means collecting evidence, talking to witnesses, and working with experts in accident reconstruction and road design.

Skilled Arizona negligent highway design lawyers can help you figure out who is responsible in a bad road or highway design case, and then guide you through the legal process.

Arizona’s 180-Day Rule for Claims against the Government

In Arizona, if you get hurt because a road or highway was badly designed or maintained, you have a very short deadline to take legal action against the government.

Unlike suing regular people or businesses, where you might have up to two years to start a lawsuit, you need to submit a formal legal claim to the government within 180 days (about 6 months) from the date of the accident.

This strict 180-day rule is a law in Arizona (Arizona Revised Statutes §12-821.01), known as the Notice of Claim requirement.

And after those 180 days, you only have one year to file a lawsuit against the government.

If you miss these deadlines — either the 180-day deadline for notifying or the one-year deadline for suing — you lose all rights to seek money from the government for the accident.

Why Acting Quickly is Important

You should talk to Arizona negligent highway design lawyer as soon a possible after an accident, for a couple of important reasons:

First, a government body — like the state, county, or city — might have responsibility for the accident. Figuring out who is at fault in these complex situations takes a lot of time and work, including getting advice from experts who testify about highway design and safety standards.

Second, you have the short deadlines we talked about for making a claim against the government.

The quick deadlines mean you need to act fast to protect your rights and make sure that you can get all the money you deserve for any injuries caused by negligent road or highway design.

An attorney will be able to put together the details of what happened, collect evidence, and create a strong case to support your claim.

It’s important to start soon because investigating and building a case about a bad road or highway design takes time. Starting off quickly can really help to build a strong case and avoid missing deadlines.

At Studnicki Law Firm, our experienced Arizona negligent highway design lawyers know how important it is to move quickly to protect our clients’ rights. We know the rules and deadlines for suing the government in Arizona, and we’re prepared to assist our clients through each part of the legal process.

Suing the Government for a Dangerous Road can be Hard

Suit a government — like the state, county, or city — for problems with how a road is designed can be complicated and tough. Not all law firms take these complex cases. But we do.

Governments usually have something called sovereign immunity, which means they can’t be sued or blamed for certain things. But there are times when you can still take legal action against them if they made mistakes that cause accidents, such as not maintaining safe roads.

For example, if a government agency in charge of a highway knows that there’s a dangerous spot — like a dangerous turn or missing road signs — and they don’t fix it, they might be responsible for any crashes that happen there.

An experienced road or highway design lawyer can help figure out if you can sue the government for an accident caused by a bad road.

Accidents Caused by Dangerous Roads or Highways

A poorly designed road or highway can lead to serious crashes in many ways.

Here are some common types of accidents caused by bad road or highway design:

1. Rollover accidents: Roads with steep sides, narrow edges, and sharp turns can make it more likely for big vehicles like trucks and SUVs to flip over.
2. Intersection collisions: When intersections are confusing, have poor visibility, weird traffic flow, or broken traffic lights, it can cause crashes as vehicles try to go through or cross them.
3. Run-off-road accidents: If the side of the road is too narrow, there are no guardrails, or the road surface changes suddenly, cars might get off the road and hit things like trees, poles, or other vehicles.
4. Head-on collisions: If the lanes are not set up right, there’s no barrier in the middle, or the road signs are not clear, cars going in opposite directions might crash into each other.
5. Pedestrian and bicycle accidents: When roads don’t have wide enough sidewalks, enough crosswalks, or good lighting, it’s more dangerous for people walking or biking.

Dangerous Roads and Highways Can Lead to Serious Injuries or Even Death

When roads or highways are badly made, they can cause terrible accidents.

Accidents caused by dangerous roads and highways can lead to many types of injuries, from small cuts and bruises to severe ones like brain damage, injuries to the spine, and even death.

If someone gets hurt because of a poorly designed road or highway, they could face huge medical bills, lose money because they can’t work, experience a lot of pain, and might not be able to live like they used to.

People who get hurt because of negligent road design should be treated fairly and receive compensation for their injuries.

Taking legal steps against governments and businesses who neglect roads not only helps injured people and their families with the financial support they need. It can also help prevent similar accidents from happening to others.

What Happens in a Bad Road Design Case?

Here is what you might expect to happen when you bring a case about bad road design to us. Every case is different, but here’s a basic outline of the steps:

• First Meeting: It all starts with a meeting where you tell us about the accident — where, when, and how it happened. We’ll ask about your injuries and how they’ve changed your life to better understand what you need.
• Gathering Evidence: We collect evidence like police reports, photos of where the accident happened, witness statements, and any videos. We might also work with road design and accident experts to figure out what exactly went wrong. We also collect medical bills and records and other documents that describe your injuries.
• Reviewing the Law: We check the laws and rules about road building and maintenance to see if those that were in charge of designing or maintaining the road didn’t do their job right. This might include looking at state and federal regulations, engineering standards, and local laws.
• Determining Who’s to Blame: Using all the information and evidence, we figure out who is responsible for the road’s problems. For example, this could be the government agency in charge of the road, the engineers who planned it, the company that built it, or a combination.
• Calculating Your Losses: We add up your losses, like medical bills, lost wages, the pain you’ve suffered, and the impact of the crash on your life. We use medical records, financial statements, and other documents to show how the accident has affected your life.
• Building Your Case: We work on legal strategies to build a strong case for you.
• Negotiation: We might send a letter to the other side — like the government or insurance companies — to get you a fair settlement.
• Going to Court: If there’s no settlement, we file a lawsuit. We’ll share evidence with the other side, gather more evidence, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Most case settle before trial, but if we don’t settle, we’re ready to take your case to trial.

At Studnicki Law Firm, you can expect dedicated support and a thorough approach to your case.

Our skilled Arizona negligent highway design lawyers are ready to find the truth, hold the right people accountable, and help you get the compensation you deserve.

Why Pick Studnicki Law Firm for Your Road Design Case

Choosing the right lawyer for case about bad road design is an important first step in winning your case. These cases can be tricky, involving detailed questions about how the road was made, traffic rules, safety concerns, and the laws that apply.

At Studnicki Law Firm, we stand out because we offer:

1. Expertise and Experience: Our Arizona negligent highway design lawyers are experts in dealing with serious and complex injury cases, and we have a strong history of winning good results for the people we represent.
2. Dedication to Making Clients Happy: We put our clients first, making sure they get personal attention and caring support while we handle their case. Check out our reviews.
3. Resources and Connections: We have a network of experts and investigators, and we use these resources to make strong cases and get the most money we can for our clients.
4. Commitment to Justice: We are dedicated to getting justice for people hurt by bad road and highway design, and to making sure that those who are responsible are held accountable.

Get Help Quickly from an Arizona Negligent Highway Design Lawyer

Don’t wait too long to ask for legal help. Bad road design cases are complicated and take time to investigate. And, in Arizona, there’s not much time to start a legal case against the government about a poorly designed road.

If you or a loved one got hurt in a crash caused by bad road design, it’s important to get a lawyer who is familiar with these complicated cases.

At Studnicki Law Firm, our experienced attorneys are skilled in building strong cases on behalf of our clients.

Contact Studnicki Law Firm today for a free consultation by calling (480) 361-2442 or filling out our contact form. Our Arizona negligent highway design lawyers can help you fight for the justice and money you deserve for your injuries and losses.