Arizona Road Construction Zone Accidents — Enhanced Penalties and Your Rights

If you drive anywhere in the Phoenix metro, you’re surrounded by construction. Highway widening projects, Loop 202 extensions, I-10 improvements, light rail expansion — it seems like every major road has orange cones on it. And where there’s construction, there are accidents.

Work Zone Accidents Are Rising

As Arizona invests billions in highway infrastructure to keep pace with population growth, the number of construction zone accidents has increased. Work zones create narrowed lanes, shifting traffic patterns, sudden speed reductions, uneven road surfaces, and confusion from conflicting signage — all of which increase crash risk.

Enhanced Penalties in Construction Zones

Arizona law imposes doubled fines for traffic violations in active construction zones. Under A.R.S. § 28-710, this applies whenever workers are present and signs are posted. Speeding, distracted driving, and reckless driving in a work zone are taken especially seriously.

Who Is Liable?

Work zone accidents can involve multiple liable parties. The driver who was speeding or inattentive through the construction zone bears primary fault. The construction company may be liable if they failed to properly sign the work zone, didn’t maintain adequate traffic control, left hazards in the travel lanes, or created confusing lane shifts. The government entity (ADOT, city, or county) that hired the contractor may share liability for inadequate construction zone design.

Your Rights as an Injured Worker

If you were a construction worker injured by a vehicle in a work zone, you likely have both a workers’ compensation claim AND a personal injury claim against the driver who hit you. The workers’ comp claim covers your medical bills and lost wages. The personal injury claim — which is separate — can recover pain and suffering and other damages that workers’ comp doesn’t cover.

Document the Construction Zone

If you’re in a work zone accident, in addition to the standard accident checklist, document the construction zone signage (or lack thereof), lane configurations, visibility of traffic control devices, and whether workers were present. This evidence can be critical in establishing contractor liability.

The Law Badgers handle construction zone accident cases throughout Arizona. These cases often involve complex liability questions — but that’s exactly what trial lawyers are for.