Truck Accidents in Construction Zones in South Carolina

Many construction zone accidents occur because the zone is improperly configured. A correctly designed highway work zone should have four distinct areas:

• Advance warning area, where signs and/or flaggers alert drivers to slow down. Sometimes, pilot vehicles will direct the start, stop, and flow of traffic.
• Transition area, where barriers, channeling devices, or lights alter the flow of traffic.
• Activity area, where barriers and buffer space separate moving traffic from construction workers, equipment, and storage.
• Termination area, where traffic speed increases as it resumes its normal route.

When commercial trucks approach construction zones, they must transition from highway speed to a lower speed to go through a work zone safely. On a dry, level road, a large truck traveling 55 mph requires about 50% more room to slow down than a passenger car. At 40 mph, a braking truck needs about 35% more roadway.

Accidents occur when a truck driver fails to slow down enough to travel through the work zone safely and encounters slowing-moving cars and other regular passenger vehicles. Large trucks have higher centers of gravity compared to passenger vehicles, which make them more likely to sway or rock during abrupt lane shifts or changes in pavement height in a construction zone. Shifting cargo, particularly liquid loads in tanker trucks, can make a truck harder to handle and more likely to stray out of its lane.

Commercial trucks have larger and more numerous blind spots, which can make it harder for the trucker to safely merge for a lane closure or to see other vehicles as they merge.

Any of these factors can contribute to a truck accident in a construction zone if the driver is going too fast for work zone traffic, following too closely, or driving while distracted and not staying alert to traffic changes.

Most truck accidents are caused by driver error. But other parties may also have responsibility for a work zone accident:

• Trucking Company / Truck Owner: An employer has liability for their employees’ acts. A company could be liable for a crash if it failed to hire a qualified driver or to train drivers adequately or comply with safety regulations such as the limits on the hours that drivers can spend driving each work week.
• Work Zone Contractors: If the highway work zone was not set up correctly, the contractor may have liability for an accident.
• Governmental Agency: The government agency responsible for the road work would have liability for a negligent contractor whose acts or omissions contributed to an accident.
• Cargo Loaders: Parties responsible for loading a truck might be liable if they failed to secure cargo properly and their negligence contributed to a construction zone accident.
• The Truck Manufacturer: A defect in the truck or its parts may have led to the accident. The manufacturer could be accountable for selling an unsafe product.
• Maintenance Providers: Service vendors who fail to properly maintain and repair trucks can be liable for a crash if their negligence leads to a malfunction in the truck.
• Other Motorists: Other drivers on the road can be held liable if their actions contributed to a work zone truck accident.

Highway construction zones are temporary. The configuration of a work zone may be changed after a serious crash has occurred, especially if there is some indication that the work zone should be made safer to prevent car accidents and truck accidents.

This makes it important to contact an attorney as soon as possible after being injured in a highway construction zone crash. David Blackwell Law will move promptly to document the scene of the accident and gather evidence at the work zone accident site before it changes and the evidence is lost.

Types of Compensation Available After a Construction Zone Truck Accident

In a work zone truck accident claim, an injured person may seek compensation for various types of losses and expenses:

• Medical bills, including physical therapy rehabilitation, long-term care and assistance required by disabilities
• Lost wages and employment benefits since the accident or if you cannot return to your job or do other work due to catastrophic injuries
• Property damage costs, including for vehicle repair or replacement
• Physical pain caused by injuries or medical treatment (such as post-surgical pain)
• Emotional distress and psychological injuries caused by the accident or injuries/disabilities
• Loss of quality of life due to disability, disfigurement, or scarring

To seek maximum compensation for a personal injury accident, your case may involve several claims if multiple parties shared financial liability for a construction zone truck accident.

In the event of a fatality in a construction zone truck accident or car accident, surviving family members may be able to pursue compensation through a wrongful death claim.