Last week, a Salisbury woman was driving to work when her car hit a large piece of metal debris that was lying in the middle of the road. The object was tossed up over the hood of her car and went crashing through her front windshield. Later, police officers told her just how lucky she was to have survived the ordeal.
According to the account, she provided the Newburyport Daily News, the piece of metal — which was eventually identified as a leaf spring that was meant to support the axle of a truck — ripped apart her vehicle’s roof and tore up the passenger seat. Thankfully, no one else was in the car. The leaf spring then hit her hard in the face, causing substantial bruising. She told the newspaper that she shared her story to help make other local drivers aware of how dangerous road debris can be.
This woman’s story clearly illustrates the dangers of debris left on the road. If a car hits an object, the occupants can easily suffer serious injuries, if nothing worse. However, a victim who is injured by road debris should not simply have to find a way to deal with medical expenses and car repairs. Someone should be held accountable.
In a situation like this, it is not always clear who is at fault. It could be the city for failing to ensure that roads were clear. There’s also the possibility that the owner of the vehicle the debris fell from could be considered negligent. When you are not sure who to hold accountable, it may be helpful to work with a personal injury attorney who can help you research the various possibilities.
Source: Newburyport Daily News, “A very scary accident with road debris,” Angeljean Chiaramida, April 7, 2013