Property owners, including municipalities such as New York City, are required to ensure that their roads are safe and in good repair. As all drivers know, there are many, many potholes in roads throughout Queens and other parts of New York City. According to a report issued by the Office of the New York City Comptroller, there are over 10,000 potholes in New York City, and Queens has more potholes than any of the other boroughs. When a car runs over a pothole, particularly potholes that relatively wide and deep, the result may not only be damage to the vehicle, but the pothole may also cause the car to be involved in a car accident and serious injuries to the occupants as well as occupants of other vehicles and pedestrians. If you were injured in a pothole accident, contact an experienced Queens pothole accidents lawyer at Stephen Bilkis & Associates. We are here to fight for your rights!
Liability for Pothole AccidentsPotholes are dangerous because when a vehicle travels over a pothole the sudden impact may cause the driver to lose control and collide with other vehicles, objects, or pedestrians. Furthermore, because potholes are not always easy to see from far away, drivers end up suddenly swerving to avoid them and in the process colliding with other vehicles.
If you were injured in an accident involving a pothole, contact an experienced Queens pothole accidents lawyer. Liability for pothole damages falls on the entity responsible for maintaining the road. This may include:
Just because a pothole was the reason that you were injured in an accident, does not necessarily mean that the property owner or manager would be legally liable for your injuries or property damage. Like other premises liability claims, the defendant would not be found liable unless they knew about the hazardous conditions (the pothole) or should have known about it.
If the City of New York is the entity responsible for maintaining the road that had the dangerous pothole, under § 7-201 of the City’s Administrative Code, for it to be liable, it had to have had written notice of the condition. In addition, because there are unique rules and timelines for filing claims against the City, before doing so contact an experienced Queens pothole accidents lawyer.
Consequences of Pothole AccidentsVictims injured in accidents caused by potholes can suffer serious injuries, particularly if the accident involves colliding with another vehicle or stationery object such as telephone pole. Not only will the victim experience painful injuries, the accident may also impact their finances. Through a personal injury lawsuit filed with the help of an experienced pothole accidents attorney in Queens, the victim can demand compensation for the following:
If you were seriously injured in a pothole accident, New York law allows you to seek compensation from the negligent parties. In order to ensure that your rights are protected and proper procedures are followed, it is important that are represented by an experienced pothole accidents attorney serving Queens. Contact Stephen Bilkis & Associates at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your car accident. We serve clients in Queens, Westchester County, Suffolk County, Staten Island, Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, and Nassau County.