The Cochran Firm Legal Blog

Accidents in work zones have killed at least 4700 Americans in the last five years--over two and a half per day--and the number may be much higher. Many accidents related to the hazards of construction zones are attributed to driver error, such as distraction, rather than the dangers created by a construction zone. For example, several people who have been killed when their vehicle went off a roadway drop-off have been held responsible for their own deaths. A truck driver was blamed for a fatal truck accident caused at least partly by a lack of warning about construction ahead, making him unaware that there may be stopped traffic ahead.

Unfortunately, the truth is that many people are killed in preventable work zone accidents. Consider the case of a 1998 repaving operation in Texas, on I-35, near Dallas. During this paving operation, less than three months, over a stretch of roadway barely five miles long, six people were killed in nine accidents related to a steep pavement edge. It was only through lawsuits that the truth of the situation came out. An employee of the contractor voiced concerns about the drop-off before accidents began, and though his concerns could have saved six lives, he was ignored. Although workers for the Texas Department of Transportation and the contractor in charge of the repaving were both aware the drop-off created a dangerous and defective roadway, they bickered over the cost of correcting the drop-off rather than actually fixing it while the fatal accidents continued.

Actual safety regulations about how roadway operations should be conducted are sparse. For many contractors, a major influence on making work zones safe is a fear of lawsuits. If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a construction zone accident, your lawsuit can do more than just help you pay bills--it can help protect other families from experiencing similar pain by encouraging safer practice among roadwork contractors.

To keep lawsuits a credible threat that can encourage contractors to maintain safety in work zones, work with an experienced firm with a track record of success. The accident lawyers at the Dallas, Texas office of The Cochran Firm are prepared to take on any opponent, no matter how large, to fight for your case. Please contact us today for a free case review.