Road & Bridge Construction Injuries to the Public

Every year, hundreds of workers are seriously injured or killed while working on road construction crews on interstates, highways, and roads throughout the United States. According to the Federal Highway Administration, in 2009, 667 workers were killed while working on road construction crews. Many were struck by vehicles traveling through the work zone or were involved in accidents involving heavy equipment in the work zone. When road construction is underway at night, construction workers must face the increased risk of being struck by drunk or impaired drivers traveling through the work site.

At Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC, our lawyers understand the risks that road construction workers face every day to build roads and provide for their families. When a serious injury or death occurs, we provide families with tough legal representation and a complete investigation into their injury or death of a family member. When we are retained to represent a client in a road construction case, we explore every avenue for recovery against drunk or impaired drivers, contractors that fail to follow established safety regulations, government entities, and any other responsible party.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) documents road construction accidents such as the following:

• 2005: "A 19-year-old construction laborer died when he was struck by a vehicle as he was crossing the road in a street construction work zone."
• 1992: "[A] 44-year-old male [working] as part of a road crew ... [while] loading a large slab of cement into a dump truck, ... was pinned against the top side of the dump truck box by the end loader bucket [and when released by another worker, fell onto concrete and injured] his head." Declared "brain dead" by his physician from that day on, he died 15 months later of pneumonia.
• 2004: "[A] 63-year-old heavy equipment operator was crushed between two compaction vehicles in a road construction work zone."

Numerous other road construction workers, motorists and passersby have lost their lives or suffered serious to catastrophic injuries in road construction zones. Sometimes the injuries and fatalities are caused by truck accidents, heavy equipment accidents, power line accidents, trench wall collapses, falls into trenches and explosions.

General contractors in charge of road construction work have a responsibility to enforce safety regulations on the work site to improve safety for construction workers in road construction zones. General contractors who are responsible for the job sites may be found liable if they fail to enforce work site safety regulations during road construction work and may provide another avenue for recovery when a worker is seriously injured or killed. The following are some of the standards that general contractors in charge of road construction work must enforce under Washington law:

• Contractors must conduct a hazard assessment of the work site to identify those hazards that pose a risk of injury or death to construction workers and have a written accident prevention program as required by WAC 296-155-305;
• The entrance and exit to the worksite should be carefully planned to minimize the risk of collisions with traffic on the roadway when vehicles enter and exit;
• Escape routes should be identified in advance in the hazard assessment and discussed with the road crew workers so that a plan is in place to escape when drunk or impaired drivers travel through the work site;
• Warning signs should be placed on the roadway in compliance with WAC 296-155-300 (Accident Prevention Signs and Tags);
• Warning signs should provide adequate notice to motorists of the road construction;
• Signal flaggers should be provided with proper equipment, reflective vests, and training as provided under WAC 296-155-305;
• Road construction workers should be provided with high visibility safety clothing to maximize their visibility to motorists traveling through the construction zone (see WAC 296-155-200 – general requirements for high-visibility apparel);
• Heavy equipment operators doing road construction work should have a spotter and back up warning sounding when backing up to prevent injuries to workers in the area;
• The general contractor in-charge of the road construction zone should be familiar with and follow the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) 200, Millennium Edition, Part 6 Temporary Traffic Controls, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.

By holding negligent parties responsible for the harm they cause and obtaining maximum compensation for our clients, we hope to improve safety for road construction workers who build our roads and highways in Washington State. If you are a member of the traveling public, take extra caution when traveling through road construction work sites and watch out for road construction workers.

We are here as a resource for injured construction workers and their families. We accept cases on a contingent fee basis, which means that you don't have to pay attorneys' fees unless we make a recovery for you. When you are injured, the last thing that you need is a bill from your lawyer. That's why we accept cases on a contingent fee basis, which means that we don't get paid unless we make a recovery for you. We will also advance costs necessary to prosecute your claim. You don't pay a retainer fee or other fees while your case is pending. We're here to help you make a just recovery for your injury so that you can begin putting your life back together after an injury. Contact us for a free case evaluation.

Negligent parties may include drunk or impaired motorists, truck or heavy equipment contractors, the general contractor, a subcontractor, an equipment manufacturer or a government entity. Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC, in Seattle never rules out a possible source of compensation for our injured clients without evaluating the facts.

At Kraft Davies Olsson PLLC, our lawyers carefully screen every personal injury case to ensure that we devote our resources to the clients who most urgently need our services. This selective approach allows us to provide the personalized attention you need after a life-changing event.

While a settlement is sometimes the best way to resolve a personal injury case, we are not quick to negotiate away your best interests. Nor do we shy away from the courtroom when that will provide the best chance for compensation that meets your needs. Simply put, we have the experience to handle all aspects of personal injury cases.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with one of our Seattle road construction worker injury attorneys regarding your serious injury caused by a construction accident, please contact us or call 206.452.3219 for a free initial consultation.