With all of the recent construction developments across the Shreveport-Bossier City area, it is especially important to be aware of both motorists and surroundings to avoid auto accidents. Mistakes in road construction can lead to serious injuries, which often lead to lawsuits against construction companies resulting in severe liability claims due to the nature of the accident.
While it’s not possible for the construction company or all motorists to understand or predict road or traffic conditions at every place or time, it’s important that all motorists in Shreveport and Bossier City exercise extreme caution when navigating through active construction zones. Here are a few important strategies to help you avoid a construction accident and any resulting personal injury:
- Make sure to obey all traffic signs, including temporary or irregularly posted signage that indicates special driving conditions near a construction site.
- Driving through construction zones requires your full attention. Put your cell phone down – no texting, no talking, no typing.
- Be aware of uneven pavement or other obstructions when traveling directly across a construction site, as there may be debris or other challenges that could result in personal injury if not negotiated successfully.
Even when construction has long since been completed, auto accidents caused by poor road conditions can still lead to claims against the “owner of the road”, based on inadequate maintenance, rather than negligent construction. In order to win a personal injury lawsuit for harm caused by road construction, an injured person must prove three elements in establishing negligence:
1. Duty to Keep a Construction Zone Safe
A construction company must comply with federal and state safety regulations, and if regulations require warning signs of upcoming construction to be placed at least a quarter mile before the construction zone, then those regulations create an obligation for the construction company to make sure the proper signage is used.
2. Breach of the Duty
Any failure by the construction company to satisfy their duty to keep a construction zone safe could amount to proof of negligence, and if that breach was responsible for personal injury of either an employee or a motorist, the company might be liable for the harm.
3. Harm Caused by the Breach
Harm can be observed and calculated with regard to personal injury due to negligence under the following categories:
- Property Damages
- Medical Expenses
- Lost Wages
- Pain & Suffering, and/or
- Loss of Quality of Life
It is critical for the injured person to be able to prove that the negligence is what actually caused their personal injury. For example, if a motorist proves that the construction company created a sharp curve on a freeway and warned motorists to slow down to 45 miles per hour, and also proves that the maximum speed a motorist could safely negotiate the curve was 35 miles per hour, the motorist has a solid chance of proving the construction company was negligent if the injuries directly result from this act of negligence.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a construction-related auto accident resulting in personal injury in Shreveport / Bossier City, please contact our experienced attorney at Josh Clayton Law Firm for an immediate and free consultation.