Who Is Responsible When Road Construction Causes Accidents?

Road construction is a fact of life for drivers and commuters across the country. The combination of construction workers, heavy equipment, and motorists who are hurrying to get to their destinations can lead to deadly accidents.

The Pittsburgh car accident lawyers at Chaffin Luhana represent injured parties in construction accident cases throughout Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Road construction sites often include several different contractors and sub-contractors, material suppliers, and road engineering firms, all of which are obligated to operate a construction site in the safest manner possible. Our attorneys have both the knowledge and experience to analyze road construction accidents and to determine which of those parties bears liability for property loss, and injuries.

Liability in Construction Site Accidents 

Construction site liability follows the standards of negligence law. A road construction company will be liable for property losses and injuries if that company owed a duty to adhere to safety procedures, and failed to follow those procedures, and if that failure was the direct and proximate cause of a third party’s property losses and injuries.

More specifically, liability in construction site accident cases is typically established when a contractor fails to establish generally accepted safety protocols, including:

  • eliminating the need for motorists to make sudden or dangerous maneuvers around construction equipment;
  • erecting adequate warning and detour signs to alert drivers of road construction activity;
  • keeping road barricades and construction equipment out of through lanes;
  • ensuring that all employees at road construction sites have proper OSHA training and that those employees take all proper safety precautions in performing their jobs.

Construction Company or Driver Liability 

Drivers are also charged with operating their vehicles in the safest possible manner while passing through road construction sites. Motorists who fail to drive more slowly or who drive recklessly through reduced lanes in a construction zone might also bear liability for another party’s property losses and injuries. 

Pursue Construction Site Accident Claims in a Timely Manner 

Both Pennsylvania and West Virginia require an injured party to file a road construction negligence lawsuit within two years of the date of the accident. In certain situations, a department or municipality of the state might be responsible for the accident. The procedures and deadlines for filing lawsuits against governmental entities are much stricter and shorter than they are for claims against private companies. To avoid missing those deadlines, you should contact an experienced road construction negligence lawyer as soon as is possible.

Contact Chaffin Luhana to File a Road Construction Accident Lawsuit 

Please see our website or call Chaffin Luhana to consult with a Pittsburgh car accident lawyer if you have suffered property losses and injuries in a road construction accident. Your opportunity to recover the largest available compensation for your losses and injuries might depend on your taking quick action after the accident to pursue your claims. Our attorneys will analyze your case and advise you on how you can recover the damages you deserve.