Warmer weather means it is prime time for every outdoor activity in the book–swimming, hiking, visiting amusement parks, you name it! It’s also prime time for construction on public roads. Work zone signs and reflective cones are common during spring and summer.
There are multiple construction zones on Interstate 79 and other West Virginia roads. Combine this construction with the amount of daily traffic on our roads, and the risk of hazards to travelers and workers increases.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, an average work zone accident happens every 5.4 minutes. Over the past five years, 1,794 crashes were reported in work zones in West Virginia. These crashes led to 509 injuries, 1,270 reports of personal property damage, and 15 deaths.
If you’ve been injured in a construction zone car accident in West Virginia, you may have limited options. If the other driver or the construction company was negligent, you may have a personal injury case.
Determining fault in a car crash in a construction zone can be more difficult than involving just two drivers.
In West Virginia, driving recklessly in a construction zone is against the law. West Virginia Code section 17C-3-4b makes speeding through a work zone a misdemeanor, punishable by a $200 fine and possible jail time.
Insurance companies may try to assign fault to multiple parties in multi-car accidents. In construction zone accidents, a person may be negligent if he or she ignored or failed to notice protective signage warning of changing road conditions or of an approaching construction zone and a collision resulted.
After a collision, a police officer often conducts an investigation and drafts a report based on the investigation and statements provided. Insurance companies often use the police officer’s report to aid in determining who was at fault in the car accident.
Construction companies and the governments that employ them should take precautions to ensure traffic flows safely through and around construction zones. Pileups and chain-reaction accidents can occur in an instant, especially in construction zones.
If a construction zone lacks proper warning signs or markings indicating reduced speed, lane changes, or that caution is needed, those in charge of the construction zone could be liable for any collision that happens there.
Additionally, if workers leave equipment unattended in a way that makes driving hazardous, accidents could be the construction company’s responsibility.
If you or someone you know was hurt in a car accident, Manchin Injury Law Group can help. Call us today or contact us online for a free consultation about your claim.
Attorney Timothy Manchin established the Manchin Injury Law Group in 2011 after his law partner of more than 25 years became a West Virginia circuit court judge. His focus is on helping individual clients and entire families victimized by negligent acts.
We offer a free initial consultation at our office in the Manchin Professional Building — our home since 1983 — conveniently located in Fairmont.
If you are unable to visit our firm, we can come to your home or hospital room.
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