What do grooves, gratings, and potholes have in common? They are all dangerous roadway obstacles for motorcyclists. When a driver of an automobile sees a pothole or grating, he may or may not slow down. On the other hand, motorcyclists have to slow down and be very careful traveling over these roadway hazards.
Although motorcyclists have the legal responsibility to drive safely, our cities, counties, and government agencies have the legal responsibility to keep our roads safe. Because motorcycles only have two wheels, they are less stable than cars and trucks with that have four or more wheels. Motorcycles are more susceptible to roadway surface changes due to the instability and thin size of their tires. Not only are there the roadway hazards mentioned above that motorcyclists have to be on the lookout for, but there are other road hazards such as:
- Loose gravel
- Oil and tar
- Street level changes
- Construction work
- Metal and wood hole covers
Any of the these roadway dangers could cause even the safest, most experienced motorcycle operator to crash or lose control and steer into the path of another vehicle. When this occurs, who might be liable for such a motorcycle accident in Atlanta?
Sometimes roadwork is done sloppily, temporarily, or with weak materials that may cause a pothole or surface break. Repair work of this nature can present a danger to motorcyclists and the entity responsible for the repairs should be held liable if they did not block off the area or warn the public of the hazard. However, the public entity involved may not be found liable for all potholes or surface breaks. An attorney may be able to establish liability to get injured motorcyclists the compensation they deserve.
In the event of a Georgia motorcycle crash that was caused by a hazardous road surface, an injured motorcyclists may be entitled to file a claim against the city, county, state, or other public agency or contractor that maintains the roadway. However, an experienced attorney who is familiar with the laws and the statute of limitations for claims against public entities should be hired when filing a claim against one of the parties listed above.
If you believe you have a hazardous roadway claim that caused your Georgia motorcycle crash, you should contact Shane Smith Law today for a free consultation at 770-HURT-999 with a skilled Atlanta personal injury lawyer today.