Construction workers face big risks as they work handling, for example, hazardous materials, or as they work at high elevations; use heavy machinery; encounter falling debris; or risk electrocution or being struck by a vehicle on the road. Needless to say, drivers maneuvering through highway construction zones put construction workers at risk for injury. For instance, in July 2014, a New Jersey turnpike construction worker was killed when he was struck by a car that crashed into the back of the truck in which he was riding. Sadly, the driver of that car was driving under the influence of alcohol. In Maryland in December 2014, a construction worker at BWI airport was killed after being injured by a concrete paver vehicle. Similarly, pedestrians walking through a construction zone also risk injury, in the form of falling debris, or being struck by heaving equipment. In March 2015, a 37 year old woman was walking on a pedestrian walkway through a construction zone in New York City when she was hit by a wooden board from a construction barrier after high winds kicked up. The board hit the woman and pinned her up against the wall of a building. The woman fell and hit her head, receiving a fatal injury.
The vast majority of construction accidents, however, occur on roadways. According to the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration website, in 2010, there were 87,606 reported accidents in construction zones.. Of these crashes, 576 of them were fatal. Interestingly, the DOT states that 31% of construction work zone accidents were caused by speeding and 20% involved alcohol. Forty percent of accidents occurred at night between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Moreover, over half of these construction work zone accidents occurred on roads where the speed limit was 55 miles per hour or higher.
If you have been injured in a construction zone, please contact the Law Offices of Stuart L. Plotnick today for a consultation.