Car crashes on Highway 91 lead to lawsuits for Department of Transportation

Car crashes happen for many reasons, some of which could be mitigated with the right help. Take, for example, this case in Georgia. A woman who lost her granddaughter and grandchildren says that there is one road with a design flaw that led to their deaths after it flooded. Unfortunately, the state still hasn’t made the necessary repairs. 

The crash happened just outside Colquitt, Georgia, on a rainy day. The family, the woman’s daughter, grandchildren and their father, were on the highway when their Lincoln Navigator hydroplaned. They did not survive. 

The woman’s family did file a lawsuit against the Georgia Department of Transportation because they claim that the agency does know about the flaw in the road’s design. The water in the area is meant to go into overflow ditches, but it regularly overflowed onto the roadway. 

It’s not just this mother and grandmother who complained. Many residents in the area have brought up concerns in the past. In 2016, the state did finally settle the lawsuit for $2.5 million, but the family also asked for the agency to fix the road as part of the deal.

Now, four years later, the roadway still isn’t fixed. GDOT claims that a study has been ongoing to determine how to reduce sporadic flooding at that location. There is currently “Water Over Road” signage that has been added to the route, so motorists can slow down. More people continue to file lawsuits, however, with 4,459 claims between 2015 and 2020. 

Collisions caused by poor road designs are unacceptable. The local government or state may be liable in some cases, just like this one.