When is a Municipality Liable for a Car Accident?

When is a Municipality Liable for a Car Accident? Municipalities are generally held to the same negligence standards as private parties. A municipality owes a duty to all travelers, whether they are themselves negligent or fault-free, to maintain its roadways in a condition that is reasonably safe for ordinary travel. This duty includes the duty to eliminate any inherently dangerous conditions.

This above-stated authoritative legal standard was recently stated by the Court of Appeals of the State of Washington, Division III, on January 13, 2021 in a case where Washington Law Center represents a seriously-injured minor who was an innocent passenger in a motor vehicle driven by a criminally-negligent driver. Read our Court of Appeals decision here.

Is A Municipality Liable For Your Car Accident Injury?

If you’ve been seriously injured in a car accident, it is critical to your ability to recover financially that you sue the responsible municipality for the negligent design or maintenance of the roadway on which you were injured. You may even sue for the inherently dangerous conditions adjacent to the roadway if any of those contributed to the severity of your injury and the municipality had notice of those conditions. 

How Washington Law Center Can Help You

At Washington Law Center, we are experts in the laws as well as court rulings pertaining to motor vehicle accidents. We stand ready to fight for you in court if the financially-responsible municipality attempts to disclaim its liability for your serious personal injury. No matter which municipality you need to sue in our state, big or small, the injury attorneys at Washington Law Center are here for you.