Missouri law, §537.600 RSMo., permits lawsuits against government agencies when a dangerous condition of public property led to a crash. This means a claim can be made if the road itself was designed in a way that posed an unreasonable risk—even beyond driver error. The government’s immunity to beind sued is “waived” if it can be shown that the dangerous condition caused the injury and that the agency either created it or failed to fix it after having notice.
St. Louis has several well-known dangerous intersections—places like Kingshighway Boulevard, Delmar Boulevard, Interstate 55 and 64, and busy intersections such as Grand & Forest Park Avenue or Hampton & I-44 are known for having lots of accidents, partly because of their design. Dangerous intersection layouts in St. Louis often mean streets meet at odd angles, have poor visibility, or they force drivers to suddenly merge—making it much easier for even careful drivers to become involved in a crash. Heavy traffic, confusing lane markings, and not enough signage make things worse, while areas with lots of pedestrians and bicyclists—like near schools, parks or shopping districts—face even bigger risks.
If someone gets hurt because of a dangerous intersection or poorly designed road, Missouri law actually gives them the right to sue the party responsible, often the city or state. The key is proving that the road’s design was unreasonably risky and that government officials either created the problem or ignored it even after knowing about it. Attorneys help by digging up prior accident reports, taking scene photos, reviewing official road design plans, and gathering witness stories. They’ll often work with engineering experts who can clearly show what contributed to the crash—things like confusing lane assignments, bad sightlines, or not enough warning signs in a construction zone. It’s also important for lawyers to bring up past accidents in the same spot to show the danger was not just a one-time occurrence.
These types of cases are not always easy—sometimes the government tries to argue that their road met the legal standards when it was built, but lawyers can argue that the standards were outdated or didn’t actually keep people safe.
Also, discovering the proper parties can be a challenge. Is the road owned by the state, or the county, or the city in which it lies? Furthermore, if the crash is in a construction zone, then it is possible that a private construction contractor or a traffic control contractor may be partially at fault as well. It may be important for an attorney to look at road construction contracts to discover the identity of such parties.
In the end, these lawsuits are all about keeping roads safer for everyone.
If you were injured in a crash and you believe that the design of the road was a problem, or that a sign was missing or confusing, give us a call—we are happy to investigate further!