For road workers and others who find themselves in work zones, including the drivers and passengers of vehicles traveling through, work zone accidents can be very dangerous. Regrettably, these crashes happen all too often in California and upend the lives of those who are just trying to carry out their job responsibilities. Unfortunately, there is evidence which suggests they are becoming more common.
Regrettably, the Federal Highway Administration reports that there was an increase in the number of work zone accidents in 2015, when compared to 2014. Over the course of 2015, more than 96,000 work zone accidents happened, according to estimates. Throughout the previous year, there were 7.8 percent fewer work zone accidents. Moreover, there were even fewer in 2013, when 67,887 took place.
Statistics from 2015 show that a fatal work zone accident took place once per week over the course of the year, on average. Moreover, 70 work zone crashes which caused someone to sustain an injury happened each day and these types of accidents happened one time per 5.4 minutes, on average. Clearly, work zone accidents take place too often and it is vital for road workers, employers, and drivers, to be mindful of the different risks and do what they can to prevent more of these crashes from happening.
If you were struck by a vehicle while working in a work zone or have suffered injuries in a work zone for any other reason, it is important to go over your options. For example, you may be able to pursue workers’ comp benefits to assist you in your recovery.
