Road crews and those who work in road construction are at great risk of suffering serious injuries while doing their job. It’s been estimated that 20,000 road workers are injured on average each year. The team at Golitko & Daly has worked on various road work cases in the greater Indianapolis area, and we know the hazards and dangers involved.

We’d like to focus our attention on road maintenance and construction accidents, with a specific focus on highway construction. There are plenty of dangers to consider. If you or a loved one is harmed while doing your work, our attorneys can help with workers’ compensation claims or legal action against negligent employers or third parties.

The Hazards of Road Work

According to numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, accidents at road construction sites claimed the lives of 1,435 workers between the years of 2003 and 2014.

The majority of these fatalities between the years of 2011 and 2014 were due to transportation incidents. This means cases in which workers were struck by vehicles or were crushed by vehicles. Much of the time, the vehicles in question were pickup trucks and SUVs, though regular automobiles, heavy machinery, and semi-trucks also had their share of fatal accidents.

The Unique Dangers of Highway Construction

Highway maintenance and construction workers tend to run a high risk of severe and fatal injury while doing their job. In the United States, it’s estimated that roughly 2 in every 100 road workers will suffer an on-the-job injury.

On highways, there are numerous hazards to consider. Since highways are not always shutdown while construction is being done, there’s the danger of regular commuter traffic, which courses along the highway while workers go about their business. The materials and machinery used to build overpasses and medians can be quite dangerous if they fall from trucks or from cranes.

There’s also the matter of working at night to consider. While commuter traffic is much lighter at that time, working without daylight at odd hours can make routine work much more difficult and potentially dangerous.

Potential Causes of Highway Construction Injuries

Some potential causes of highway maintenance and construction injuries include the following:

• Being struck by vehicles
• Crushed by vehicles and machinery
• Falling objects and debris
• Slipping and falling off major heights
• Exposure to harmful substances

Follow Safety Guidelines for Road and Highway Work

While highway construction is dangerous, there are a number of safety guidelines to follow that can help mitigate the dangers of the occupation.

Be sure to wear proper safety attire that protects the head, eyes, and hands while also maximizing your visibility in daytime and nighttime. Posting signs about roadwork for commuters and having proper traffic control in place can also reduce the risk of accidents with normal traffic on the highway. Proper training and communication with your employees is also essential.

Contact the Lawyers of Golitko & Daly

For more information about your legal options after a severe injury, we encourage you to contact our team of work injury and accident lawyers today. The law firm of Golitko & Daly stands with injured workers and their loved ones.