Hargadon, Lenihan & Herrington, PLLC

The High Risk of Work Zone Accidents

The high risk of work zone accidents in Louisville and across Kentucky should be foremost on your mind as you approach any construction zone.  Work zones are always dangerous as there are workers and heavy construction vehicles and additional congestion due to narrowing of lanes and merges.  Speeding may be a leading cause of car accidents resulting in injury here in Kentucky, but a recent study found distracted drivers are 29 times more likely to gen in a collision in a construction zone compared with those who are focused upon their driving.

What behaviors can we adopt to reduce the high risk of work zone accidents and injury to ourselves and the construction workers around us?  The first choice we can make is to silence our phone when we get into our vehicle.  When approaching a work zone, remind yourself to actually increase your alertness and ignore incoming phone calls, texts or other distractions.  Choose to obey the posted speed limit and pay close attention to any construction workers who are controlling the flow of traffic in and around the area.  The combination of slower speed and increased attention will reduce the high risk of work zone accidents as well as the severity of any accident or injuries which may occur.

We tend to be focused on tasks at hand and arriving at our destination.  This can lead to frustration when approaching the delays, detours or distractions of a work zone.  This anger and frustration actually increases the likelihood you will be involved in an accident in a construction zone or receive a citation for speeding or other reckless behavior.  Fines are usually doubled in construction zones and this is an expensive lesson which can be easily avoided.

If you or someone you love is injured in a work zone accident, or you are a construction worker who has been injured while working in a construction zone we invite you to contact HLH or call (866) 583-9701 to speak with one of our attorneys for a free consultation.  Learn how we can protect your rights and achieve the best possible outcome in your case.