What are the greatest causes of road construction accidents?

As the new legislation to upgrade our nation’s infrastructure kicks in, travelers on our nation’s roadways will be seeing more construction work zones and experiencing more delays, lane changes and complicated signs. For road construction workers in Florida and elsewhere, this means even greater risk of severe injury or death that can occur in highway work zones.

With major roadway construction sites along I-95, the Intercoastal Waterway and other projects, Miami residents should use caution when entering a work zone along their commute. Road construction workers who have experienced severe injury or loss from a work-related accident need to know the next steps for receiving compensation.

What hazards do road construction workers face?

When construction workers are injured in work-related accidents, it is due to one of four primary causes, called the “fatal four”:

• Falls

• Struck-by accidents

• Electrocution

• Caught in-between

No matter the work environment, these events can occur from tripping on debris or falling from a hidden gap or hole, electrocution, being struck by equipment, crushed by falling material or caught in machinery.

Roadway work zones put construction workers at enhanced risk of severe injury and death because they not only face dangers from these hazards but also risk being struck by a negligent driver who is speeding, crashes through construction barriers, or causes a traffic accident with another vehicle.

As it turns out, work zone fatalities have been steadily rising in recent years, increasing during the lockdowns of 2020 when there were fewer drivers on the road. The pedestrian fatality rate went up by 21% that year over 2019, and 38% of these fatalities occurred to road construction workers.

More than half of all highway contractors reported work zone crashes in 2021, resulting in tragic loss, project delays, and motorist fatalities. Speeding is reportedly a common factor in such accidents.