Highway Work Zone Wrongful Death

The risk of automobile accidents is a fact of life in the 21st Century. In highway construction zones, however, collisions are more likely to occur and more likely to cause catastrophic or fatal injuries. Both commuters and road workers face a heightened risk of injury in highway work zone construction sites.

In the most recent year for which statistics are available, 842 people were killed in construction zone crashes in the U.S., as reported by the Federal Highway Administration of the Department of Transportation (DOT). This number represents an 11.2% increase in work zone fatalities over the previous year. Large trucks were involved in 33% of fatal crashes that occurred in work zones, although they account for only approximately 5% of vehicle traffic, as stated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

In Texas alone, 147 occupants of motor vehicles, 35 pedestrians and bicyclists, and four construction workers were killed in work zones in a recent year, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TX DOT).

Texas has specific regulations to help prevent highway construction zone accidents. They include:

Reduced speed limits: Temporary speed limits posted in construction zones take precedence over normal speed limits. Law enforcement officers will double fines for speeding in a work zone.