Queens Construction Site Car Accidents

Roadway construction is a fact of life in New York. There are always roads that are in need of repair. While we all appreciate when there are improvements to make driving more efficient and safer, road construction sites can be quite hazardous to workers as well as drivers. Construction workers often walk dangerously close to passing vehicles and slow-moving construction vehicles move in and out the construction area. While the law requires that drivers slow down and drive cautiously through construction zones, drivers frequently fail to follow these requirements. As a result of drivers failing to driver cautiously through construction zones, accidents do occur leaving victims with serious injuries such as a brain injury, broke bones, contusion, abrasions, a neck injury, or a spinal cord injury. These types of injuries may involve long recovery times, requiring the victim to miss a significant amount of work. However, under New York law victims of vehicle accidents as well as victims of other types of negligence such as medical malpractice are allowed to seek compensation from the person whose negligence resulted in the accident. If you are in need of a New York Injury Lawyer because you or a loved one was injured in a construction site car accident it is important that you immediately contact an experienced Queens Construction Site Car Accidents Lawyer who will review your case and explain to you your options for seeking compensation for the losses you suffered as a result of the accident.

Construction zones tend to be inherently dangerous as they alter the normal traffic flow and restrict the way that cars navigate road way. Drivers must slow down and be particularly alert when traveling through construction areas.

• Narrowed lanes. When work is performed on roads, it is sometimes necessary to narrow the portions of the road that cars can use. Road narrowing is done in several different ways including using temporary painted stripes on the road, cones, and concrete barriers. When lanes are narrowed little room is left for a shoulder. This increases the likelihood of sideswipe accidents or shoulder of the road accidents.
• Moving construction equipment. Large, heavy equipment moving in construction areas is hazardous. Such equipment moving in and out of construction areas may cause drivers to unexpectedly slow down, resulting in a rear-end collision and chain reaction accidents.
• Workers in the roadway. Flagmen and other workers drifting into the roadway or walking on the shoulder may cause drivers to swerve or quickly switch lanes, colliding into another vehicle.
• Road debris. In construction zones sometimes trucks are used to haul away dirt, broken concrete, wood and other debris. When this debris falls onto a roadway, drivers tend to swerve or suddenly stop in an effort to avoid the debris. This could lead to a serious accident.

Construction site car accidents often leave the victim with serious injuries including broken bones, brain injuries, spinal cord damage, neck injuries and amputations. Because such serious injuries require expensive treatment, victims injured in work zone accidents are often left in deep financial distress while they are not able to work. Medical expenses include the ambulance bill, emergency room fees, hospital bills, fees for visits to your doctor, and prescriptions. A serious injury may also require short or long-term rehabilitation as well as medical equipment such as crutches or a wheelchair.

Holding the parties responsible for the accident will help alleviate financial stress caused by the accident. In a personal injury lawsuit you may be able to recover damages for your medical expenses as well as lost wages. Lost wages includes the money that you would have received in your paycheck as well as the value of vacation or sick days that you had to use while recovering and any bonuses or other compensation that you would have received. If as a result of the accident you are no longer able to earn as much money as you did prior to the accident, or you are no longer able to work at all, you may be entitled to compensation for that.

If your injury was the result of a work-related car accident, then you are entitled to file a claim for benefits under New York's workers' compensation rules.

If you have been hurt at a construction site, contact our legal team. These cases are complex and it is essential to have legal guidance to obtain the compensation you deserve. You may be able to collect compensation over and above the workers' compensation award. The staff at Stephen Bilkis and Associates has extensive experience representing clients injured in car accidents, construction accidents, as well as other types of accidents. Contact us at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your car accident.