By Farhan Naqvi, Personal Injury Lawyer in Las Vegas
Wherever you drive your vehicle – whether it’s on Interstate 215 (I-215), a residential sidestreet in Pahrump, a country road in unincorporated Clark County, or the Las Vegas Strip – chances are you’ve probably come upon some roadway debris recently. Even if it’s an object that isn’t sturdy enough to cause damage to your vehicle, it is not uncommon for car accidents to occur due to motorists swerving to avoid the debris.
Many times, it is impossible to determine specifically where the debris came from. If by chance you see it fall off of another vehicle, its driver will be liable for any property damage or injuries it causes to your vehicle.
However, if you take evasive action to avoid roadway debris of unknown origin and subsequently cause a car, truck or SUV wreck, it is you who will be held responsible for the ensuing damage and injuries.
Here are some tips on dealing with roadway debris:
- If you see an object in your lane ahead of you, slow down immediately. This will give you a little more time to react.
- If the object is something flimsy (like an empty plastic grocery bag, a piece of cardboard, or a newspaper), then you should continue driving over it. You are more likely to damage your car swerving to avoid it rather than running over it.
- However, if the object is a box, garbage bag, or something similar, do not assume that it is lightweight or insubstantial. Bags might contain nails or glass, and a box might have a heavy but small appliance in it.
- If you decide to avoid it, check your mirrors and your blind spots before switching lanes. Blindly swerving may steer you right into another vehicle and cause an accident.
- Switch lanes quickly but not wildly. Use your turn signal if time permits you to do so.
- Do not move into oncoming traffic until you are positive that there are no oncoming vehicles.
- If you must swerve onto the side of the road, keep both hands on the wheel at all times and move quickly back onto the roadway as soon as possible. If the shoulder is uneven, a sharp jerk of the wheel to the left might be necessary to maintain control – but do not oversteer.
If you are injured in an auto accident caused either by debris falling from another vehicle or by another motorist who swerved to avoid roadway debris, you should contact a personal iniury attorney as soon as possible.
About the Editor: Farhan R. Naqvi is a Las Vegas personal injury lawyer who has experience representing victims injured in car accidents, drunk driver crashes, truck wrecks, slip and falls, taxi cab accidents, and bicycle crashes. He also has experience handling spine injury, product liability, underinsured/uninsured driver, and wrongful death cases. If you’ve been seriously hurt in an accident in Summerlin, North Las Vegas, Clark County, Henderson, Boulder City, Green Valley, or Pahrump, give Farhan a call at 702-553-1000 for a free, no-hassle consultation.