Two people have died in a crash that started when two vehicles collided on I-64 near mile marker 53 in Frankfort, and then two other vehicles were hit when people stopped to help out. The crash happened around 9:30 in the morning on Saturday, August 17,2019, when a pickup truck struck a Lexus in a construction zone, and then two SUV’s were hit when they stopped to help out.
The Kentucky State Police say that two occupants from one of the vehicles were taken to a local hospital where one died soon after arriving, and the other died hours later. Police are still investigating the accident, and no charges have been filed.
Construction Zone Accidents
When drivers enter a construction zone, the likelihood of an accident goes up, according to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Each year, over 150 construction workers die in roadside construction zones, and safety experts predict that the numbers will climb because of the increased construction planned across the country.
Construction workers aren’t the only ones that are at higher risk of death or injury. Each year there are over 40,000 injury accidents in construction zones, and over 1,000 deaths with around 85 percent of these being occupants of motor vehicles.
Causes of Construction Zone Accidents
The greatest cause of a construction zone accident is speed. Over 40 percent of crashes are rear-end accidents which typically can be avoided if drivers slow down. Speed contributes to rear-end crashes and accidents that kill or injure workers on the construction site. A vehicle doesn’t have to be going over the speed limit for speed to be a factor, rather a car is considered speeding if it is going too fast for condition.
The second leading cause of a construction zone accident is distracted driving. This also leads to both construction worker injuries and rear-end crashes when the car in front has slowed down, and the trailing driver doesn’t see it in time because of a distraction. Cell phone use has increased in construction zone accident accounting for over 25 percent of all distracted driving deaths in 2018.
The third type of crash in a construction zone is a chain-reaction crash. In these crashes, there is a primary crash and then when people stop or slow down for the first accident, a secondary crash—or more—occurs when drivers are unable to slow down in time.
Do I need an Attorney?
If you’ve been injured in a construction zone accident, then you need to talk to an attorney about your rights. Whether you were an occupant of a motor vehicle or a construction zone worker, the law requires the at-fault driver to pay you compensation for your injuries.
The insurance companies have attorneys to help them pay out as little money as possible, and they are experienced at doing just that. Don’t go it alone, get someone on your side to help you get fair compensation for your injuries.
At at Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, we offer a free consultation where you can ask question and be informed of the law regarding your personal injury. so you can make the best decision. Call us today, and we will stand behind you to make sure that you are treated fairly and that you get the highest compensation allowed by the law.
