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Auto / Truck / Motorcycle / Bicycle / Pedestrian Accidents

Defective Highway Design

Defective roadway design and poor planning have caused terrible accidents in Washington. The attorneys at Swanson Gardner Meyers Cohon PLLC, review every motor vehicle accident to determine If defective highway design played a part.

These cases can be challenging, but we have the experience necessary to determine responsibility and pull a strong case together.

Defective roadway design hazards may include:

  • Insufficient or dangerous ramps to and from freeways
  • Improper or absent signage
  • Poorly marked or absent warnings around construction areas
  • Failure to protect motorists from dangerous roadside hazards

For the most part, government entities maintain adequate standards for highway safety. Highway design defect cases usually result frorn state or county road departments’ failure to follow those standards.

A strong record of results

Our attorneys have achieved many impressive jury verdicts and settlements for victims of defective highway design. We represented a client who was nearly killed because of a dangerous city roadway. After a five-week trial, a jury awarded our client a $13.23 million verdict, one of the largest in Washington’s history.

In another case, we represented a client injured on a State highway due to a misleading traffic signal that was installed temporarily near Sea Tac airport. Our investigation unearthed information proving there had been seven prior accidents in the same location, including a fatality. The State offered to pay $15,000, so we took the case to trial and secured a verdict of several hundred-thousand dollars, the maximum that could be awarded at the time.

In yet another case, we represented a client who was terribly injured due to defective highway design. Our client lost control of his car while passing a truck, and slid into a median. Instead of protective guard rails, Washington State DOT allowed an earth berm to be built to protect motorists from hitting large pillars holding up an overpass. The berm was not built to the State’s specifications, and did nothing to redirect our client’s car away from the big overpass pillars. The accident resulted in an explosion and fire that severely burned our client. We put together a strong case, and the State settled for $3.3 million.

Swanson Gardner Meyers Cohon PLLC, will work hard to obtain the best result possible for our clients. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a motor vehicle accident that could have been caused by defective highway design, contact us for a free initial consultation.

Swanson Gardner Meyers Cohon

In The News

  • More than $150 million awarded to families of those who died in a crane accident. Click here to read more.
  • $65 million settlement against City of Seattle in ambulance/auto crash. Click here to read more. 
  • Click here to read more of our Settlements and Verdicts.