Who Pays When You're Hurt in a Groves Construction Accident? Understanding Liability

Groves, Texas, offers a suburban vibe with easy access to Highways 73, 87, and 347. The busy thoroughfare also means ongoing road construction, causing traffic headaches and potentially dangerous conditions for Groves motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Construction zone accidents can leave victims with catastrophic injuries in some cases.

Sadly, many accident victims suffer injuries through no fault of their own. Determining responsibility for construction zone accidents can be a complex process. The Groves personal injury attorneys at Carabin Shaw help construction accident victims pursue compensation from the responsible parties to pay for medical bills, lost wages, and other losses. Contact a member of our team 24/7 at 800-862-1260 for a free consultation. We have English- and Spanish-speaking professionals available.

The numbers prove that construction zones are dangerous, not just for workers. In 2023, Texas saw 190 traffic fatalities in work zones, only two of which were roadside workers. The rest were drivers and their passengers traveling through the construction. In 2022, 891 fatalities occurred in work zones across the country, and 145 of those were bicyclists and pedestrians.

Some of the most common reasons for construction zone accidents include:

• Speeding or distracted driving
• Untrained crew members
• Debris or equipment in the roadway
• Inconsistent lane markings
• Insufficient warning signs
• Inadequate lighting

Knowing the cause of the accident helps to determine who was liable. An experienced attorney will carefully investigate the incident to identify responsible parties.

Different parties and individuals can contribute to a construction accident through negligence, recklessness, or other factors. In some cases, more than one party may play a role, including:

A construction company owes the public a duty of care to keep the work zone as safe as possible, using appropriate warning signs, lighting, and traffic patterns. If the company is negligent in establishing or maintaining the construction zone, it can be held liable for an accident.

If a construction employee does not follow procedures or behaves recklessly, the individual may be responsible for the accident. In most situations, the company that employed the worker will be liable if the employee was on duty at the time of the accident.

Motorists must follow all traffic laws as they navigate construction zones, such as reducing their speed and obeying flaggers on the site. Speeding and distracted driving are two top causes of construction site accidents in which the guilty driver would be liable for victims’ injuries and property damage.

A third party was not directly involved in the construction accident but contributed to it. One scenario might be an equipment manufacturer that produced a faulty piece of equipment that led to a crash in the work zone. Your Groves lawyer may hold a third party liable for your accident even if they weren’t at the site at the time of the incident.

If the city or state oversees road maintenance projects, the local government entity may be liable for all or a portion of accident damages. For example, if the city fails to close a road and an accident occurs, the city can be held at least partly responsible for the crash.

Negligence is a common foundational concept used to determine liability for construction accident compensation in Groves, Texas. Negligence incorporates these elements:

• The party had a legal duty of care
• The party breached that duty of care
• The breach led to the victim’s injuries

Texas operates under the comparative negligence rule, which states that responsible parties are liable for their portion of damages based on their role in the incident. If the court assigns 60% of the fault to the construction company and 40% to another driver, the victim may collect damages from both parties in those proportions.

Construction zone accidents can require substantial medical care and time off work. Reviews from previous clients show how Carabin Shaw’s attorneys help accident victims get the necessary compensation to pay their bills while they recover. We offer our services on a contingency-fee basis, so you don’t pay until we win your case.

Don’t wait to get the help you need! Contact us today at 800-862-1260.

For more information:

• DoT Texas
• FHWA
• Cornell Law
• Cornell Law