Government Liability

California Dangerous Roadway Wrongful Death Attorneys

Public Property and Public Employee Negligence

When someone is killed on public property, whether because of the negligence of a government or public employee, or a dangerous condition of public property, a government can be liable for wrongful death damages. This is true whether the dangerous condition or negligent conduct is traced to a State employee, a city, a county, a school district, water district or hospital board or other public entity. The wrongful death law specialists at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger have concluded more than 500 cases in the last 50 years against various public entities, including, the City and County of San Francisco, San Mateo County, Marin County, Alameda County, Sonoma County, the Golden Gate Bridge Transit District, the State of California, SamTrans, Caltrans, the San Francisco Water Department, the California Highway Patrol, the San Francisco Sheriff's Department, the U.S. Postal Service, and the United States Government.

Our public entity wrongful death specialists have expertise in the preparation and trial of cases involving dangerous roadways. In the State of California, all State highways are owned and maintained by the California Department of Transportation, referred to as "Caltrans." Lawsuits for wrongful death alleging dangerous conditions of public property are complicated and expensive - our highway design wrongful death team understands how to successfully prosecute such cases. Our wrongful death dangerous roadway lawyers have handled cases involving highways that are unsafe because of:

• road resurfacing;
• poorly designed bridge abutments, guardrails and median dividers;
• negligently managed construction zones, including those that do not have proper or visible signage;
• inadequate temporary lighting at road resurfacing or construction projects, rendering pedestrians, other vehicles and landmarks difficult or impossible to see;
• bad road design, including lanes that are too narrow or turns that are improperly banked;
• surface defects including potholes, loose gravel, or other payment hazards which cause vehicles to go out of control.

Californians trust State highway maintenance engineers make certain that our highways are safe. All California citizens and motorists are entitled to drive on public roadways that have been properly built and maintained. Where improper maintenance or design results in death, the law firm of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger is ready to step in and help.

In addition to dangerous conditions of public property, the public entity wrongful death specialists at Walkup, Melodia have extensive experience in representing citizens who have been injured through the negligence of public transportation systems including the San Francisco Municipal Railway, SamTrans, Golden Gate Trans buses, Golden Gate Transit ferries, San Francisco Municipal Railway cable cars, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), and CalTrain. Northern California citizens are killed each year as a result of public transportation errors and negligence. Under California law, public transportation systems are known as "common carriers" which means they are required to operate with the highest degree of care possible to insure the safety of their passengers. When negligent and dangerous operation results in death, public entities are liable. Additionally, public entities are required to maintain their vehicles in a manner that is safe and fit, consistent with the "highest degree of care" to avoid serious or fatal injury to their passengers.

Our attorneys have been the most successful in northern California in obtaining millions of dollars for the survivors of deceased clients killed by public transportation negligence. If a member of your family or a loved one has been fatally injured by the act or omission of a public employee, contact us today.

Contact our burn injury wrongful death lawyers today. Make an appointment for a free consultation. toll-free 1.888.732.8897.

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The wrongful death attorneys at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger represent the families of wrongful death victims in California and Nevada including the cities of San Jose, Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Fresno, San Mateo, Walnut Creek, Concord, San Rafael, Napa, Redwood City, Stockton, Modesto, Los Angeles, San Diego, Reno, Las Vegas, Elko, Carson City, and Tahoe.