Construction zones contain many hazards for Arizona drivers, from heavy work vehicles and spilled sand or gravel to careless workers and changes to travel lanes. No wonder car accidents are widespread in these areas and often cause severe injuries. To recover compensation for your injuries in a construction zone car accident, you must understand who may be liable and what your legal options could be.
Common Causes of Construction Zone Car Accidents
Let’s start with the basics: What causes crashes in construction zones? Common causes include:
- Poor signage: Confusing or inadequate signage can cause drivers to miss lane changes or make sudden maneuvers in tight quarters, which often leads to crashes.
- Lane shifts: Narrow or shifting lanes reduce the space available for vehicles, increasing the likelihood of side-swipe accidents.
- Sudden stops: Merging traffic or slowed work vehicles can lead to abrupt stops that result in rear-end collisions.
- Construction equipment: Vehicles and machinery entering or exiting the roadway introduce obstacles that can surprise drivers.
- Road debris: Cones, tools, loose gravel left in the roadway, and other work zone hazards can cause drivers to lose control and crash.
- Limited visibility: Poor lighting or barriers that create blind spots make it harder for drivers to see potential dangers and react in time.
- Speeding: Drivers who ignore posted work zone limits increase the chances of severe accidents for everyone nearby.
- Distracted driving: Looking at roadside activity or using a phone takes drivers’ attention away from the road and makes accidents more likely.
Who’s Liable for a Construction Zone Car Accident?
You must identify whose actions caused a construction zone collision before you can seek compensation for your injuries. Commonly liable parties in these cases include:
- Negligent drivers: Motorists who speed, text, ignore posted work zone signs, or engage in other careless behavior often cause crashes and may be liable for their negligence.
- Construction companies: Contractors who fail to use proper signs, barriers, or lighting may be liable for creating unsafe conditions in a work zone.
- Subcontractors: Crews responsible for specific tasks like traffic control may share liability if they create hazards through poor planning or management.
- Government agencies: State or local authorities that oversee a construction project may be liable if they approve unsafe traffic patterns or ignore safety violations.
- Equipment operators: Workers who move heavy machinery without proper safeguards can cause collisions and may be directly responsible.
- Third-party vendors: Delivery trucks or other outside vehicles entering the work zone without following safety protocols can also contribute to accidents.
Compensation Available After a Construction Zone Accident
An Arizona construction zone accident lawyer can make sure your personal injury claim accounts for all the harm you’ve suffered, including:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Lost income
- Reduced future earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- The damage to your car and other personal property
Your Legal Options After a Construction Zone Crash
You have several legal options after a construction zone crash. If another driver, contractor, or agency caused the collision, you may pursue an insurance claim to seek compensation for your medical bills and other losses. You can file a lawsuit and take your case to trial if the liable party or their insurer won’t compensate you fairly. However, you must pay attention to Arizona’s statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits, as waiting more than two years to file a lawsuit could block you from recovering compensation.
How Gill Law Firm Can Help
At Gill Law Firm, we’ll handle the hard work of a construction zone accident claim so you can focus on your recovery. We’ll investigate the crash, review construction zone records, look for surveillance footage, and gather other evidence to show who caused your injuries. Our team will handle insurance negotiations and prepare your case for a possible courtroom trial. You’ll never owe any legal fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Call now or complete our contact form for a free case review and to learn more about how we can help.