How these crashes happen
- A lane ends with a short or poorly marked taper and drivers merge at the last second.
- Old lane markings were not fully removed and conflict with the temporary striping.
- Lanes are narrowed with no shoulder, leaving no room to avoid another vehicle.
- A driver drifts across a shifted lane line at night or in glare.
- Cones or barrels have been knocked out of position and no one has reset them.
Who may be responsible
The other driver
Unsafe lane changes, late merges, and speeding through a shift are common causes.
The contractor
Contractors are generally required to follow an approved traffic control plan and national standards for tapers, lane widths, and temporary markings, and to maintain the devices once they are placed.
A government agency
The agency that owns the road may share responsibility for the design of the zone or for failing to correct a known hazard. Claims against public entities have their own rules.
Evidence that matters
- Photos of the lane lines, cones, barrels, and barriers as they looked at the time
- The exact location and direction of travel
- Dashcam footage
- The police crash report
- Vehicle damage photos showing where the contact was
Work zones change from day to day. If you can do so safely, capture the scene before it changes, and follow these steps.
Common questions
The lane lines were confusing. Does that matter?
Yes. Conflicting or missing temporary markings are a known cause of work zone crashes. Photos taken as soon as possible are important, because the layout of a zone can change from one day to the next.
What if I hit a barrier or barrel and no other car was involved?
A single-vehicle crash can still be someone else's responsibility if the zone was laid out or maintained unsafely. It is worth having the facts reviewed.