Car Accidents in Areas of Road Construction
Construction sites are inherently dangerous. They contain heavy machinery, large vehicles, and other hazards that increase the risk of an accident. Workers throughout the construction industry are at risk of serious injury or death, but workers at road construction sites face unique threats.
Road construction sites can be complicated to navigate, and it is not unusual for drivers to make reckless or negligent choices that lead to a car accident. Road construction car accidents can result in catastrophic injuries for construction workers. Following this type of accident individuals in the Houston, TX-area can work with construction accident attorney Michael E. Shelton to pursue financial compensation for accident damages.
Car Accidents and Road Construction Fatalities
Road construction zones are dangerous for drivers who are involved in a car crash, but they are especially hazardous for construction workers. Workers have no vehicle to protect them from the impact of an accident, so if they are struck it can be catastrophic. Unfortunately, road construction car accidents are often fatal for construction workers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has gathered data regarding highway work zone safety. They relay that the Federal Highway Administration reported 27,037 fatalities in work zone crashes between 1982 and 2017, which amounts to around 773 per year. They further detail data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which reports that during a seven-year period (2011-2017), transportation events accounted for 76 percent of fatal occupational injuries in roadway work zones.
Road Construction Car Accident Damages
Road construction car accidents can result in debilitating injuries or death, but that is just one aspect of accident damages. These types of events frequently lead to steep financial losses and emotional hardships, for the injured or surviving loved ones. Common damages in road construction car accidents include:
- Medical expenses
- Cost of ongoing medical treatment and/or rehabilitation
- Cost of assistive medical devices, i.e., walker, wheelchair.
- Lost wages
- Loss of wage earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Funeral and burial expenses (when injuries are fatal)
- Loss of companionship (when injuries are fatal)
Who Is Liable for My Losses?
Liable parties should be held accountable for the economic and non-economic damages of a road construction car accident. However, determining liability in these types of accidents is often complex. Drivers seldom admit fault for a collision and are often quick to point the blame at the construction company or municipality in charge of the work zone. In complicated situations like these it is best to work with a knowledgeable construction accident attorney, such as Michael E. Shelton.
Our legal team works alongside experts in the field to recreate road construction car accidents and determine what caused them and who is at-fault for the collision. Using evidence such as expert testimony, witness testimony, photos and/or video, and police reports, we build a case of liability so that our Houston clients can be justly compensated for their losses.
Contact Michael E. Shelton
Road construction car accident victims may be due significant financial compensation for accident damages. To find out how Michael E. Shelton can assist injury victims in collecting the financial rewards they are due, send us a message online or call our Houston law firm at (713) 807-0700.
