Were you injured in a car accident caused, at least in part, by road defects in Fort Walton Beach, FL? If so, you may have a legitimate personal injury lawsuit against the city or state. The experienced Fort Walton Beach car accident lawyers at Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to maximize your financial recovery.
At Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers, we might be a small firm, but we pack the power and resources of much larger outfits. Our father-son team boasts more than 60 years of combined experience, and we’ve helped our clients win millions in settlements and verdicts.
If you’re going up against a negligent government agency, you need to ensure that you’re on level ground. Hiring our Fort Walton Beach personal injury law firm can make that happen. Contact our law office or call (850) 863-5297 now to schedule a free consultation and learn more.
How Our Fort Walton Beach Car Accident Lawyers Can Help If You’re Injured Because of a Road Defect
There’s enough to worry about when you’re driving around Fort Walton Beach as it is. You shouldn’t have to be concerned that the road isn’t designed properly or that there are hazards that could put you and your loved ones in harm’s way. Unfortunately, road defects are a reality in busy Northwest Florida towns like Fort Walton Beach. And, if a road defect is a contributing factor in your car accident, you deserve to be compensated for your injuries.
That’s where Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers can help. Our Fort Walton Beach car accident attorneys have more than 60 years of combined experience fighting for crash victims just like you. We go toe-to-toe with the toughest adversaries every day – from insurance companies to government agencies and other powerful defendants.
When you trust our attorneys with your case, we will:
- Investigate the circumstances surrounding your motor vehicle accident to identify all possible causes
- Determine how the road could have been designed or maintained more safely and, in turn, prevented your accident from happening
- Identify which parties can be held legally responsible for your auto accident and injuries
- Work to ensure that your claim is filed on time and that all procedural requirements are satisfied
- Defend against claims that you share responsibility for your wreck
Our primary goal is securing the best possible car settlement deal for you so that you can get money in your hands when you need it most: now. However, we won’t compromise if it means getting you less money than you deserve. Our respected Florida trial attorneys will be ready to take your case to a jury if necessary.
Contact our law office in Fort Walton Beach, Florida to learn more. We offer a free case evaluation and are standing by to take your call now.
What Are Road Defects?
Roads in Florida have to be designed to be safe and maintained so that they stay that way. Road defects can include problems or hazards that make driving conditions unsafe or hazardous.
Common examples of road defects in Fort Walton Beach include:
- Potholes
- Broken or damaged road surfaces
- Missing or broken guardrails
- Obscured, obstructed, or faded road signs
- Malfunctioning traffic signals
- Poorly designed intersections
- Faded road markings
- Missing shoulders
- Debris on the road
- Uncleared trees or brush that impede the road or limit visibility
Government agencies have a responsibility to design safe roads and maintain them to keep them that way. The agency that will assume liability will depend on where the road defect exists.
For instance, U.S. Route 98 is an interstate for which the Florida Department of Transportation assumes responsibility.
On the other hand, smaller roads like Memorial Parkway NW or Wright Parkway NW would likely be the responsibility of the city of Fort Walton Beach or Okaloosa County.
How Are Cases Involving Road Defects Different From Other Car Accident Cases in Florida?
Typically, cases involving road defects mean that you’ll be dealing with a government entity. So, your personal injury case will be subject to special rules and procedures – at least initially.
The government is usually immune from civil lawsuits. There’s an exception under the Florida Tort Claims Act, which explains that the government can be liable if its own negligence causes an avoidable injury.
What Do I Have to Prove?
If you can prove that the municipality, county, or state had actual or constructive knowledge of a road defect and didn’t do anything about it, you can hold them legally accountable.
In other words, you’ll have to prove the government knew or should have known about a hazard, failed to take proper action, and you got hurt as a result.
What’s the Statute of Limitations For Road Defect Cases Involving the Government?
You must notify the government agency and file your personal injury lawsuit within three years of the date of your accident. Note that this gives you one year less than other types of car accident cases.
Wrongful death lawsuits are still subject to a two-year limit.
Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers Helps Victims of Road Defects in Fort Walton Beach, FL
If you’ve been hurt in a crash or lost a family member in a fatal car accident in Fort Walton Beach, FL, you may be entitled to compensation. If a road defect contributed to the crash, Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers can help you seek maximum compensation from all liable parties – including the government.
Contact our Fort Walton Beach car accident lawyers to discuss your road defect case now. We are ready to put decades of experience behind your pursuit of maximum compensation. Your first consultation is free.
Other types of car accidents that we cover are:
