There are some well-established methods that can help you avoid accidents caused by debris.
Though many accidents are caused by one or more drivers, there are a variety of situations that are outside of that convention. One of them is people hitting road debris and, as a result, being involved in an accident. Below we will discuss what you need to know about these accidents and provide some guidance on how you can obtain compensation in the event of an injury.
Where Road Debris Comes From
The most common source of road debris is commercial vehicles. The industries that produce them include landscaping, lumber, and any other business that uses trucks with open backs. What happens is that despite being tied down, objects fall out of these vehicles and hit the road. Whether the drivers notice or not, they choose to keep going instead of stopping to resolve the situation. While law enforcement or another government agency will clean it up eventually, that debris could spend hours on the road first. One more source is car accidents, which often leave car parts on the street.
Why it is So Dangerous
The reason why debris is so dangerous is that it sneaks up on you. While you might be ready for an aggressive driver, a sudden stop in traffic, or even an animal walking into the road, you might not be in the habit of looking at the ground in front of you. Before you know it, you could hit the debris and have your vehicle go off course. The result can be a single-car accident or one involving other parties. Either way, you could end up with property damage and severe injuries.
Avoidance Tips
Fortunately, there are some well-established methods that can help you avoid accidents caused by debris. The following are three of the most important of them.
- Resist Distractions – One common factor that leads to hitting debris is not paying attention. If your eyes are off the road, you are in danger of hitting something because you have a slowed reaction time. A half of a second can be the difference between an accident and a near-miss, so you’ll want to resist distractions and get as much time as possible.
- Adhere to Speed Limits – Another factor that leads to accidents is increased speed. Similar to distractions, the reason is that going too fast leads to a longer stopping distance. As we covered previously, losing a half second or more can be crucial.
- Be Wary of Trucks – Almost every piece of debris comes from a truck, so staying away from them is a solid bet for avoidance.
The one silver lining of getting into a debris-related accident is the fact that you can likely obtain compensation for your injuries. That being said, doing so is often complicated, as the person who dropped the object on the road might be unknown. The best way to make sure this kind of case goes as smoothly as possible is to speak with a St. Louis auto accident lawyer about your case. An experienced attorney will help you understand what your legal options moving forward. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 361-4242 for a FREE case evaluation.