Summer Construction Zones Increase Crash Risks In New Hampshire
Construction Zone Crashes Often Involve More Than A Careless Driver
Road construction season begins as soon as New Hampshire temperatures start to rise, bringing lane shifts, narrowed roadways, temporary traffic controls, and changing traffic patterns to highways across the state. While most drivers slow down and adjust, it only takes one careless decision in a work zone to cause a serious collision.
Construction zone accidents can create legal issues that do not exist in ordinary car accident cases. In addition to the drivers involved, contractors, subcontractors, equipment operators, and even government agencies may play a role in creating the conditions that led to the crash.
At Burns, Bryant, Cox, Rockefeller & Durkin, P.A., our New Hampshire car accident attorneys help injured drivers throughout the Granite State navigate complex claims and pursue compensation after serious construction-zone crashes.
What Causes Most Construction Zone Accidents?
Construction zones create an environment where ordinary driving mistakes can quickly become serious collisions. Many work zone crashes involve one or more of the following factors:
- Distracted Driving: Drivers who look away from the road may not notice slowing traffic, lane shifts, or temporary traffic controls until it is too late.
- Following Too Closely: Reduced spacing between vehicles leaves little room to react when traffic slows unexpectedly.
- Unsafe Merging: Last-second lane changes and aggressive merging often contribute to sideswipe and rear-end collisions.
- Ignoring Flaggers or Temporary Signals: Failure to obey work zone traffic controls can create dangerous conflicts between vehicles and construction activity.
- Speeding Through Work Zones: Reduced speed limits exist for a reason. Narrow lanes, workers nearby, and changing traffic patterns leave little margin for error.
- Fatigue And Reduced Visibility: Overnight construction projects often involve glare, darkness, and tired drivers who may react more slowly.
If another driver's actions caused a collision in a construction zone, documenting the circumstances early can make a significant difference in a claim.
Why Construction Zone Accident Cases Are Different
Unlike many ordinary car accidents, work zone crashes often involve multiple parties and constantly changing conditions.
Construction projects may include:
- State or local government agencies
- General contractors
- Traffic control companies
- Subcontractors
- Equipment operators
At the same time, the physical layout of the work zone can change from day to day. Traffic patterns, signage, lane closures, barriers, and flagger locations may look completely different within hours of the crash.
That makes evidence preservation especially important. Photographs, video footage, contractor records, project plans, and traffic control documentation can become critical in determining what happened.
Who May Be Responsible For A Construction Zone Crash?
Liability in a work zone accident is not always limited to the driver who caused the collision.
Depending on the facts, responsibility may extend to:
- The At-Fault Driver: Drivers who speed, drive distracted, follow too closely, or ignore temporary traffic controls remain the most common source of liability.
- The General Contractor: Construction companies may be responsible if unsafe traffic control measures, poor planning, or inadequate warnings contributed to the crash.
- Traffic Control Subcontractors: Companies responsible for signage, lane closures, cones, or flagging operations may share responsibility if those measures were inadequate.
- Government Agencies: In some situations, roadway design issues or project planning decisions may contribute to unsafe conditions.
- Equipment Operators: Construction vehicles or equipment entering active traffic lanes can sometimes contribute to collisions.
Identifying every potentially responsible party often requires a thorough investigation and quick access to records before they disappear.
Common Injuries In New Hampshire Construction Zone Accidents
Construction zone crashes often occur at highway speeds or in areas where drivers have little room to avoid impact. As a result, the injuries can be significant.
Common injuries include:
- Whiplash and soft tissue injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal injuries
Many injured drivers initially believe they escaped serious harm because adrenaline masks symptoms immediately after a crash. Neck, back, and head injuries frequently become more apparent over the following hours or days.
Seeking medical attention promptly helps protect both your health and your injury claim.
How New Hampshire's Comparative Fault Rules Affect These Claims
New Hampshire follows a modified comparative fault system. If an injured driver is found partially responsible for a crash, any recovery may be reduced by their percentage of fault.
Insurance companies often rely heavily on comparative fault arguments in construction-zone cases because the circumstances can be more complicated than in a typical collision. They may argue that a driver merged improperly, followed too closely, changed lanes unsafely, or failed to react appropriately to work zone conditions.
When multiple parties are involved, sorting out responsibility becomes even more important.
Evidence Can Disappear Quickly After A Construction Zone Crash
One of the biggest challenges in these cases is preserving evidence before the work zone changes.
Important evidence may include:
- Traffic control plans
- Daily construction logs
- Flagger assignments
- Project inspection records
- Surveillance footage
- Photographs of lane closures and signage
- Contractor communications
Many of these records are not preserved indefinitely. The sooner an attorney becomes involved, the sooner steps can be taken to secure the information needed to evaluate liability.
How A New Hampshire Construction Zone Accident Attorney Can Help
Construction zone claims often require more investigation than a typical car accident case. Contractors, insurers, and government agencies may all have information that needs to be reviewed and preserved.
At Burns, Bryant, Cox, Rockefeller & Durkin, P.A., our attorneys have been serving New Hampshire clients for more than 150 years. We know how to investigate construction zone crashes, preserve critical evidence, and challenge efforts to shift blame onto injured drivers.
If you were injured in a New Hampshire construction zone accident, contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation. You'll speak directly with an attorney who can review what happened and explain your legal options.
"After my wife was involved in a serious, head-on car accident, her attending nurse asked me if we had an attorney. After speaking with Matt Cox, I knew my search was over. His compassion, professionalism, and knowledge of the law made an incredibly stressful situation much easier to navigate." – K.R., ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
