Causes of auto accident injuries and fatalities

Dangerous roads

The largest single category of highway deaths is the single vehicle run-off-road crash. Roadway improvements such as skid-resistant pavements, the removal of roadside hazards such as poles and trees, rumble strips and more reflective signs could greatly reduce the number of run-off-road deaths.

Each Casey Gerry San Diego car accident attorney has considerable experience with cases in which dangerous roadway conditions caused automotive crashes. A very significant case involving a family visiting San Diego was brought against the State of California by Casey Gerry's team of auto collision and highway design attorneys. The husband, wife and daughter were traveling on a state highway during a rainstorm when they saw a car drive through a large puddle of water that had collected on the roadway, go out of control, and skid off the roadway to their right. They pulled over to help. While the mother and daughter stayed in the car, the father scrambled down the embankment to the car below. While the father was helping the other driver, another car drove into the same puddle and careened off the highway at the same spot as the first. That car struck the father, killing him immediately.

Our auto accident attorneys believed that it was more than coincidence that two cars went off the road at exactly the same location. We were able to obtain the records for the design and the elevations of the roadway from CalTrans. We measured the roadway and found that as it was actually built, it did not comply with the original design. As a result, water collected on the roadway during rainstorms, creating the considerable risk to vehicles. It became clear to the State that the flawed implementation of their own design had resulted in the death of this fine young man. Casey Gerry was able to resolve the case with a substantial settlement for his widow and daughter.