As if Atlanta’s traffic woes weren’t bad enough after the Interstate 85 fire and collapse, part of Interstate 20 westbound recently buckled in DeKalb County. A motorcyclist who was traveling down the freeway was launched into the air, landing 10 to 15 feet down the highway. He suffered serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital.
A car was also traveling down the highway at the time and did not have time to stop. Like the motorcyclist, the car launched off the buckled section of the highway as if it were a ramp and landed about 10 to 15 feet away. The driver did not suffer any serious injuries from the incident.
The cause of the buckle in the road was a gas leak beneath the highway. A crew was working on replacing 36 inches of an old gas pipe. They filled the old pipe with concrete, which caused pressure to build up and finally burst.
A construction responded quickly to the scene after the incident and began repairs, which shut down most of I-20 westbound. But, the issue was remedied and the road was repaired within 24 hours, thus avoiding a major disruption in local traffic.
Though no one was killed in the I-20 buckle, and no one was injured when I-85 collapsed, these incidents have brought to light the many issues with Atlanta’s infrastructure. If individuals are injured due to improper roadway conditions such as this, they do have a legal right to compensation. However, getting compensation from the government is often much more difficult than recovering damages in a normal car accident.
Normally, there is a much higher threshold for proving fault in these cases. As such, if you have been in a car accident in Atlanta due to another driver’s actions or a serious issue on the roadway, you need an attorney you can trust. Call Mike Rafi today at 404-800-9933 for a free consultation.