Wrongful Death Lawsuit In New Jersey Turnpike Accident Focuses on Dangerous Highway Design
The death of a man in a car accident in 2006 on the New Jersey Turnpike focused attention on the guardrail that caused his fatal injuries. However, three years after the accident, there have been no changes made to the guardrail which continues to remain an injury risk.
In August 2006, 34-year-old Patrick Sweeney was riding a car on his way to Newark airport. On the Turnpike near route 80, the driver lost control of the vehicle, and it crashed into a guardrail. Sweeney sustained fatal injuries when the guardrail pierced the passenger side of the car.
His family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the contractor involved in the road construction, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and others. They have now settled their lawsuit for 9.7 million dollars. Their attorney says that the guardrail was installed too close to the road, and on top of a high curb that increases the risk of injury. Three years after the fatal accident that killed Patrick Sweeney, there have been no changes made to the guardrail.
Many times, dangerous conditions for a driver are created not so much by the negligence of other motorists, as by the poor design of the highway. Highway design and construction is a complex process that must include safety of all users of the road. There could be any number of ways a highway design defect could increase the risk of accidents.
- Sharp curves
- Absence of guardrails
- Improperly installed guardrails
- Obstruction of motorist view
- Road surfaces that contribute to skidding, lack of adequate lighting, lack of warning signs.
Any one of these defects can lead to accidents. In such cases, victims may be able to hold construction companies, contractors, agencies responsible for the highway or other local agencies, utility companies, and maintenance companies responsible for these injuries.
Scott Grossman is a New Jersey wrongful death lawyer representing injured victims of auto accidents in Monmouth, Bergen, Passaic and Ocean Counties, and across the state of New Jersey.
