Philadelphia Construction Accident Lawyers: Risks for Roadway Construction Workers

Two construction workers in a Pennsylvania highway work zone were recently injured while trying to stop a driver from leaving the scene of an accident at a work site.  A Scranton, Pennsylvania man was charged with the two vehicle accident in an active work zone and several felony counts including driving under the influence.  Philadelphia construction accident lawyers acknowledge the people affected by work zone accidents are not only victims but are also co-workers, friends and family members.

Highway construction work zones make dangerous conditions for workers and motorists.  Construction workers that build, repair, and maintain highways and bridges are exposed to occupational hazards on a daily basis.

Work zones are areas of highway with construction, maintenance or utility activity and are clearly marked by signs, barriers, channeling devices (cones or flags), and work vehicles.  The attention grabbing measures combined with lane tapering alert motorists to drive slowly with caution in order to protect the workers on site.

Increased public awareness and improved work zone regulations have had a positive impact on the number of construction work zone fatalities over the years.  The Center for Disease Control reports that maintenance work area fatalities peaked in 2003 with 1,095, and slowly declined to only 609 fatalities in 2012.

Two types of accidents occur in highway construction work zones.

• Accidents that involve construction workers inside the work zone
• Slips, trips, and falls result in injuries.
• Workers accidentally overexert themselves or get exposed to harmful substances.
• Severe injuries are sustained from equipment and construction vehicle collisions, machine rollovers or back-overs and workers caught or stuck between equipment and objects.
• Accidents that involve motorists injuring a construction worker outside the work area
• Speeding, reckless or aggressive driving through work zones place drivers and workers in dangerous situations and cause accidents.
• Driver distraction, missing signs or flaggers can harm workers and other motorists.
• Impaired or drowsy drivers may ride too close to buffer lanes, drift off or fail to keep a safe distance through work zones and can strike workers or vehicles.

Many times driver error contributes to construction work zone accidents and results in more motorist and passenger injuries than construction workers.  The Bureau of Labor and Statistics found that Pennsylvania had 178 fatal work zone injuries in 2013.  While only 31 of those fatalities were caused by injuries within the work zone, 70 of them were a result of transportation incidents.

Philadelphia Construction Accident Lawyers at DiTomaso Law Recover Damages for Construction Work Zone Accident Victims

If you or a loved one has sustained severe injuries in a construction work site accident, you deserve a qualified Philadelphia construction accident lawyer to provide legal guidance and recover compensation for your medical treatment, loss of wages and pain and suffering.  Philadelphia construction accident lawyers at DiTomaso Law provide a free consultation in either our Philadelphia or Cherry Hill, New Jersey offices.  Submit an online inquiry form or call 856-414-0010 to discuss the details of your accident.  We provide accident victims representation in Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey including Camden, Burlington, Atlantic, Salem, Gloucester and Cumberland Counties.