Have you ever had to use the shoulder of a highway? Something as simple as using the highway shoulder can lead to a serious car wreck. Unfortunately, road construction car wrecks can lead to serious injury.

When it comes to car wrecks, it’s often an initial assumption that a driver is at fault in a single-car wreck case. However, that assumption, like all assumptions, is often wrong. A car wreck caused by defective roadway or highway construction can be fatal or cause very serious car crashes leading to permanent serious injuries.

If you’ve suffered serious injuries in a car collision, please don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss your options. You can contact us by phone at 864-235-4999  by clicking the button below or through our contact form.

With 24 years of legal experience, I have represented drivers who have been injured or killed due to defective highway construction or maintenance. These defective highways or roadway cases require a lot of work and experience.

The following post will look at a scenario that shows how a damaged roadway or road shoulder can lead to a serious motor vehicle emergency and the types of defects that can lead to road construction car wrecks.

Road Construction Case Facts and Examples

Road construction is one of the most overlooked causes of car wrecks. More than 770 car wrecks occur every year in work zone areas.

What is a defective road shoulder case?

Roads have to be built according to a standard or repaired to specific standards. When these rules aren’t followed to the letter, a car wreck can occur and serious injuries are a possibility. If you’ve never been in this situation before, the driver is often to blame. The truth is the situation could have been beyond the driver’s control. 

Did your vehicle leave the road and go onto the shoulder and then when you tried to bring the car back onto the road, did the tires of your vehicle “hook” onto the side or edge of the paved road, preventing you from easily coming back onto the paved road? Did you lose control when you tried to get back onto the paved road?

The dirt shoulder of a road has to be almost flush with the paved portion of the road. Failure to even out the surfaces will create a drop-off. In this instance, when the car goes off the road its tires can hook on to the paved portion of the road. The driver will often forcefully yank the car back onto the road causing the car to lose control.

Vehicles have been known to cross into other lanes of traffic or collide with a tree off-road.

Pavement edge drop-off is a known cause of motor vehicle accidents. An uneven difference between the paved road and the shoulder is a dangerous hazardous situation.

3 Road Construction Car Wreck Situations

Visibility

Lack of visibility is a common problem around construction areas. Construction can take place in a number of areas including around corners, behind trees, etc. When you see a construction sign, proceed with caution.

Traffic Pattern Changes

The construction of new lanes, exit ramps and lane reduction can cause traffic patterns to change. If you’re accustomed to taking the same route to work or school, then a sudden lane closure can lead to a collision. For this reason, proper signage must be displayed. The signs must also be placed in the right spot so drivers can alter their course of travel in a safe manner.

Construction Debris

When making repairs or improvements, construction crews may have to break the old road surface into pieces. If this particular stretch of road isn’t closed, driving on the surface can cause your vehicle to lose control and crash causing serious personal injury.

Construction debris can spill onto roads outside of a construction zone. If a construction crew has been negligent in keeping hazards marked or debris out of the road, and those conditions cause a car wreck causing severe injuries, you may be able to seek financial compensation for your injuries.

Here are some other highway defects that can cause serious car wrecks:

• Lack of a guard rail
• Uneven pavement or paving
• Roadside defects or potholes

Road Construction Car Wreck Wrap Up

If you or someone you know has suffered a serious injury in a car collision, please don’t hesitate to contact me. There are a variety of reasons a car wreck can occur. There are quite a few situations that can be outside of the driver’s control, such as defective highway construction or maintenance, that can cause a serious car wreck to occur. Talking with an experienced car wreck lawyer can help you make sense of a chaotic situation. With more than 20 years of legal experience, I’ve helped clients retrieve the compensation they deserve.

It’s important to remember that every case is unique. Success in one case does not guarantee success in a similar case. Thus, it’s very important for you to call my office to discuss your specific situation.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at 864-235-4999 or by filling out the contact form below.