HIGHWAY AND ROAD
WORKERS FACE HIGH RATES OF INJURY.
WEARING REFLECTIVE CLOTHING WILL NOT PROTECT THE WORKERS FROM NEGLIGENT
OR IMPAIRED RIVERS.
Road workers are at high risk for on-the-job injuries
in New York and elsewhere. In the United
States, 20,000 road workers are injured annually in work zones, according to
the Federal Highway Administration statistics.
There were more than 1,200 on-the-job fatalities among
road workers from 2009 to 2013 across the United States. Injuries and fatalities to road workers
comprise more than 1.5 percent of total work-related injuries in the United
States.
Road construction work zones are often the site of
accidents that cause injuries to workers. In New York, there were 7,186 traffic
collisions in work zones in 2012, according to the New York State Department of
Transportation. These accidents caused 3,497
injuries and 221 deaths.
Work zone accidents may be caused by negligent drivers,
including drivers who are impaired, fatigued or failing to follow the speed
limit or obey other traffic laws in work zones.
New York State law provides for
enhanced penalties for speeding in a work zone, including a possible prison
sentence when an accident results. Work zone accidents may also be caused by
inadequate warning signs or another failure to follow proper safety procedures
on the employer’s part.
Road workers who have suffered on-the-job injuries may
be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. In some cases, a personal injury
lawsuit is another possible option to obtain compensation.