Pothole Injury
Pothole Injury
As winter comes to an end here in Lancaster County, the next season begins. What season is that, Spring? No. Pothole season! Potholes will pop up everywhere. Roads, alleys, crosswalks, and parking lots will all have them. This is also pothole injury season. Injuries from a pothole accident can change your life in an instant. We want to help people by providing some useful information.
What is a Pothole Injury?
A pothole injury is any injury caused by a pothole. A pedestrian stepping into a pothole can cause injury. Crashing a bicycle after riding through a pothole. Or, a motorcycle accident from riding through a pothole. These are basic examples.
Pedestrian risk of pothole injury is a serious problem in Lancaster city.
Pothole Injury Checklist
When you’re injured because of a pothole the surprise or adrenaline may take over. Additionally, you might not feel very hurt or minimize your pain/injury. Remember the basics:
- Seek medical help – If your injuries are severe, call an ambulance. If you can get to the doctor or hospital on your own, go as soon as possible. It’s important you get a doctor’s assessment of your injury.
- Take photos of your injury.
- If your property (bicycle or motorcycle) is damaged, take pictures of the damage.
- Take photos of the pothole from several angles, if possible. Keep your safety in mind.
- Write down exactly what happened as you remember it. Don’t wait, write it down as soon as possible.
- Keep a log of all expenses related to the accident.
- Keep track of days your doctor requires you to miss from work.
Who is Responsible?
When a pothole injury happens, you may have a lot of questions. One of those questions will likely be: Who is responsible?
Responsibility usually rests on the property owner. If the pothole is in a parking lot of a business, the business owner might be at fault. Or, if the pothole injury happens on a public road the municipality could be responsible. If you can’t easily determine who is responsible, a premises liability lawyer can help.
Dangerous potholes in Lancaster city bicycle lanes can cause serious injury.
Pothole Injury Medical Treatment
A common problem for accident victims is finding money to pay for medical treatment. An injured person may or may not have medical insurance. Of course, if you don’t have medical insurance getting treatment may feel impossible. Medical insurance would help reduce the cost of treatment. But even those with insurance may have trouble paying for care if they are missing time from work due to the injury.
It’s important to get medical treatment if you have injuries. You might need a doctor who accepts payment after you’ve recovered money in your case. We work with several doctor’s offices to ensure our clients can get the medical help they need.
Potholes in the road can cause serious safety hazards for motorcycles.
When to Seek Help From a Lawyer
Not every pothole injury case needs a lawyer to help. But how do you know when to call a personal injury lawyer?
- If you need surgery.
- When your doctor requires you to miss work for any length of time.
- If the property owner is not responding or denying your injury.
- When the insurance company is not responding or denies your claim.
- If the insurance company makes an offer that doesn’t cover all your medical costs and time off from work.
- When the pothole injury happens on a public road. There are time limits and procedures to follow to get your claim settled.
Pothole Injury Lawsuit
When a person suffers a pothole injury this is a premises liability case. This means a property owner did not maintain the property in safe condition. The property owner can be a business, person or municipality. When unsafe property conditions cause physical harm, a Lancaster premises liability lawyer can help.
Call a Lancaster area Pothole Injury Lawyer
Haggerty & Silverman has a legal team to help people who suffered a pothole injury. We understand the difficulties most people face after an accident. That’s why we provide free and confidential consultations. Speak to a Lancaster area lawyer and get real legal advice for your situation. No pressure, no obligation.
We’ll help you explore your options and provide real answers. We don’t charge you any money unless we recover money in your case.
Call or text us today at 717-397-3200. Or. fill out our online contact form and a member of our legal team will contact you.
How to Report a Pothole in Lancaster County
On state-maintained roads, call 1-800-FIX-ROAD or submit a new concern using the form online.
In Lancaster city, reach the bureau of streets at 717-291-4835 or djessup@cityoflancasterpa.com.
Call the municipality. Each municipality has a different procedure. Call the municipality where the pothole is located to report it.