Construction site accidents take all sorts of forms, whether they involve equipment malfunctions or another hazard that is present in the workplace. However, road workers are employed in a particularly dangerous line of work and may face a wide variety of threats on the job every day. In San Bernardino, California, they may suffer an injury or fatality when drivers act recklessly while behind the wheel or co-workers fail to pay attention, among other causes.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1,400 road construction workers passed away in a job site accident between 2003 and 2014. On average, this amounted to 115 fatalities each year. Unfortunately, these crashes kill and injure road workers who are maintaining highways, building bridges and repairing roads.
The Federal Highway Administration reports that in 2014, 119 people lost their lives while at work in a road construction zone. On average, fatalities that take place on these sites make up for 1.5 to 3 percent of all workplace deaths. Although the number of fatal road construction accidents has declined in recent years, working in these zones remains dangerous.
For the families of those who die at work, a wide variety of problems may lie ahead, such as lasting emotional pain, an inability to enjoy the previous quality of life and financial struggles. In the event that someone’s negligent behavior caused a fatal workplace accident, families may want to explore their legal options. Moreover, workers’ compensation provides survivor benefits that can help some dependents after they have lost their loved one.
