Austin Work Zone Accident Lawyers
If you or a loved one were in a car accident in a construction work zone, you might be entitled to compensation. Accidents in work zones are common. Traffic patterns change and can be confusing, plus there are many construction workers and equipment close to the road. Most of the time, careless drivers are responsible for work zone car accidents. These drivers might hit another car or hit a construction worker.
Work zone accidents are complicated because many different parties might be responsible for the accident. If you were injured or your property was damaged in an accident caused by another party’s negligence, then you deserve compensation to help you recover.
At Gibson Hill Personal Injury, we are a team of passionate, experienced personal injury lawyers who are dedicated to helping you get the compensation you deserve. It’s terrifying when you’re in a car accident, and you might be feeling uncertain about your next steps. You don’t have to go through this by yourself. Gibson Hill Personal Injury will take care of all the legal details for your case, so you can rest and recover. Give us a call today at (737) 249-6300 to schedule your free consultation.
Why Do I Need A Lawyer?
If you were in a work zone car accident — regardless of whether you were a pedestrian, construction worker, or driver — you might be interviewed by the police and other parties’ insurance companies and lawyers. They might ask you confusing questions that are designed to make you seem responsible, even if you did nothing to cause the accident.
The other people or parties involved in the accident might try to take your answers and twist them to discredit your claim to compensation. To protect your rights, it’s critical to have your own lawyer present during any communication with the police, insurance, or another party’s lawyer.
Why Should I Choose Gibson Hill Personal Injury?
Gibson Hill Personal Injury is a team of highly experienced work zone accident attorneys, who are passionate about getting justice for personal injury victims. At Gibson Hill Personal Injury, we treat our clients as individuals, not as numbers. Our compassionate and hardworking approach has earned us outstanding testimonials from our clients.
At Gibson Hill Personal Injury, we work on a contingency fee basis. That means that instead of billing you for our hourly, weekly, or monthly work, we only get paid if we help you recover compensation. If you don’t win your case, then you don’t owe us any money. This means that you can hire our firm without any financial risk to you.
Call us today at (737) 249-6300 to schedule a free legal consultation. Our compassionate work zone accident attorneys will listen to your story, help answer any questions you might have, and help you understand your legal options.
Work Zone Accidents
Work zone accidents are very common in Texas. In 2018, there were 25,162 accidents in work zones, and tragically, Texas leads the nation in the number of work zone accident deaths. Nearly 90 percent of people who die in work zone car accidents are car drivers or passengers. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the leading causes of accidents in work zones are driver inattention and speeding.
One reason that work zone car accidents are so common is that work zones change the traffic environment. Drivers might encounter narrower lanes, concrete barriers, new lane locations, diminished or non-existent roadside shoulders, and heavy-equipment and construction vehicles. They might have to stop suddenly when road crew flaggers switch signs from “slow” to “stop.”
In this environment of increased risk, drivers are expected to exercise increased caution and abide by reduced speed limits. When drivers don’t exercise this additional care and subsequently cause an accident, they can be held liable for any damage they cause.
What If I Am Partially At Fault For My Accident?
Even if your actions partially contributed to your accident, you might still be entitled to compensation. When multiple parties are responsible for an accident, an insurance claims adjuster or a court will determine to what degree each party was responsible.
Consider this example: a roadside flagger flips their sign to slow, permitting you to drive through the construction zone. However, there was a miscommunication. There is oncoming traffic that you can’t see until it’s too late, and you crash into them. When you hit the other car, you were driving five miles per hour above the speed limit.
In this situation, a judge might determine that you are 25% responsible for the accident since you were speeding, while the construction team was 75% responsible. In this situation, the construction company would be responsible for 75% of your damages. This is a legal concept called “comparative negligence.”
Making an Insurance Claim
If you’re trying to get compensation for medical bills or car repairs, your first inclination might be to file an insurance claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Filing an insurance claim is a good first step, but never accept a compensation offer from an insurance company without first consulting with a lawyer.
Insurance companies are incentivized to find any way to reduce or deny your claim amount. They often take advantage of car accident victims who are overwhelmed and unfamiliar with the insurance process and offer them settlements that are far lower than victims are entitled to.
When you accept money from an insurance company, you will be required to sign an agreement releasing the at-fault driver from any further liability and releasing the insurance company from any additional payments. After you do this, you typically can’t pursue further legal action — even if your injuries require further medical attention or you realize you could have gotten more compensation.
An experienced work zone car accident lawyer can help estimate how much compensation you are eligible for based on your circumstances. They can advise you on when to accept a settlement and when to keep fighting. If the insurance company refuses to negotiate, your attorney can also help you pursue legal action in a court.
Contact Us Today
At Gibson Hill Personal Injury, we fight tirelessly for work zone car accident victims. We understand how car accidents devastate people’s lives, and we will use every legal tool available to help you get the compensation you deserve. Give us a call today at (737) 249-6300 to schedule your free consultation.