Chicago Construction Accident Attorney

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) defines a work zone as follows:

“A work zone is an area of a trafficway where construction, maintenance, or utility work activities are identified by warning signs, signals and indicators, including those on transport devices that mark the beginning and end of a construction, maintenance, or utility work activity. It extends from the first warning sign, signal or flashing lights to the END ROAD WORK sign or the last traffic control device pertinent for that work activity. Work zones also include roadway sections where there is ongoing, moving work activity such as lane line painting or roadside mowing only if the beginning of the ongoing, moving work activity is designated by warning signs or signals.”

A work or construction zone accident can happen easily. Especially if drivers navigating construction zones are surprised or do not know where they are going. Most Illinois residents do not research construction zones beforehand, so they do not know what to expect. This happens frequently on highway construction zones as most people are commuting to work.

A common occurrence is a driver making a sudden stop due to confusion with the design of the work zone. If another driver is tailgating the person then may result in a rear-end collision. This can even cause a chain-reaction wreck.

In Illinois, more than 43,000 work zone car crashes occur each year. This doesn’t include the 1,000 accidents resulting in injuries according to the Illinois Tollway. Approximately two Illinois construction workers die in construction zone accidents each year. Alongside this about 1,000 motorists are injured and 25 die in work zone accidents each year.

These statistics indicate that construction zone crashes put drivers, passengers, and workers at risk. This doesn’t even apply to urban areas, like Chicago, where pedestrians may get involved. With this in mind, it is important to be alert in a work zone.