Working road construction in Chicagoland today is arguably more dangerous for our construction workers than the risks faced by workers in other parts of the country. Why are the dangers greater in Chicagoland for road construction workers?
1. Number of Road Work Zones in the Chicago Area
First of all, there are so many road work zones to consider. We have an unprecedented number of ongoing road work projects in our part of the country right now with the historic and huge Project Rebuild Illinois. See, Rebuild Illinois Overview, published by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute.
The Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”) confirms there are sixty (60) active road work sites as of April 14, 2025 just within its District 1 (counties of Cook, Lake, McHenry, Kane, Dupage, and Will). There are even more when the larger boundaries of greater Chicagoland are considered. The more road work zones, the greater the risk of injury.
2. Complexity of Chicagoland Road Construction
Second, there is the complexity of our road construction efforts. While other regions may have extensive road work efforts in place, most will be hard-pressed to match the variety of challenges Project Rebuild Illinois gives our construction work force.
The scope of current road construction is astounding. So is the number of contractors, companies, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, design professionals, and others who have safety responsibilities for all this work.
Of course there are basic projects, like resurfacing of roadways (e.g., Glenwood Dyer Road in Cook County). However, Chicago workers are being offered unique opportunities to build expertise while on the job, such as with the extensive rehabilitation project involving the Kennedy Expressway, where construction includes bridge deck removal; repairs of piers and beams under various bridges along the route; demolition of decks; etc.
For these complicated Chicago road construction work zones, all sorts of specialized equipment, machinery, vehicles, and tools are needed. Consider this: demolition is often required. And in an effort to avoid the danger of explosives, concrete-cutting technicians may be tasked with various demolition methods using innovative tools and equipment to control the cutting, breaking, drilling, and coring of concrete without the need for hazardous detonations.
The more heavy machinery, equipment, and tools on a construction site, the higher the risk of bodily harm. See,Vasconcelos, Bianca, and Béda Barkokébas Junior. “The causes of work place accidents and their relation to construction equipment design.” Procedia Manufacturing 3 (2015): 4392-4399.
Sadly, safety agencies and advocates for work accident victims and their loved ones recognize that with these complex road construction projects comes not only opportunity to build career expertise, but a higher risk of being hurt or killed in all sorts of ways. And some of the leading causes of road work construction injuries are struck-by and caught-in between accidents involving machinery and equipment on the job site.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, in road construction “..[t]he third most common cause of worker fatalities are workers caught between or struck by construction equipment and objects.”
Also read: Demolition Dangers for Workers in Chicago Road Construction.
What is a Struck-By Accident?
Within the construction industry, a struck-by accident is one involving a road work zone event where a worker is hit and harmed by something. This can be anything with sufficient weight and force to cause bodily injury. Struck-by accidents on a Chicago road work zone may involve objects that are:
- flying through the air (think debris from a machine like a grinder);
- falling (e.g., a hammer dropped from a height in a bridge renovation);
- swinging (such as a crane boom); or
- rolling (where heavy equipment or work vehicles collide with the worker).
What is a Caught-Between Accident?
Perhaps the most horrific road construction work accidents involve caught-between incidents where the worker is crushed between two objects. They are usually serious and often fatal.
Caught-between injuries in road construction can be caused by many things, including:
- being pinned between a structure and a moving vehicle (e.g., a wall or barricade and a work truck);
- being caught between moving vehicles and equipment (like a dump truck and a loader);
- being crushed in a trench collapse or a failing structure during excavation.
For more, read: Struck By or Caught-In-Between Accidents in Road Work Zones: Chicago Construction Dangers and Trenching Dangers in Chicago Road Work Construction Projects: Rebuild Illinois in Chicagoland.
Injury Claims for Chicago Road Construction Workers Hurt In Struck-By or Caught-Between Accidents
While motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for road construction work, another serious risk involves the job itself with proximity to all sorts of heavy machinery, equipment, and tools that may result in struck-by and caught-between accidents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) confirm that struck-by accidents cause one in four construction worker deaths in this country, with over half (55%) of road construction worker fatalities involving construction vehicles and equipment struck-by accidents.
The danger of Chicago road construction worker accidents involving struck-by and caught-between injuries is particularly concerning because of the extensive construction underway for the next few years as part of Project Rebuild Illinois.
When a road construction worker is hurt on the job in Chicagoland, they have a right to independently investigate the event in order to determine who may have liability for what has happened. For instance, investigation by accident analysis experts and legal advocates may discover that there was a failure to provide proper materials handling, storage, use, and disposal pursuant to 29 CFR 1926 Subpart H.
Working on any road construction project today in the Chicago area, especially in the complex worksites of Project Rebuild Illinois, is especially dangerous for workers. The work is often advanced, and on deadline pressure, with a great number of different parties having possession, custody, or control of the worksite. Read: Chicago Road Construction Worker Accidents: List of Third Parties Potentially Liable for On-the-Job Injuries.
A number of different companies or individuals may have breached duties of care and safety that make them liable for the road construction accident and its aftermath. The worker victim may have civil claims to assert against one or more third parties, outside of workers’ compensation claims, where damages can include medical expenses (past and future); rehab costs; lost wages; lost earning capacity; and more.
See:
- The Two Main Differences Between Workers Compensation and Personal Injury Claims for Accident Victims in Indiana and Illinois
- Work Accident in Illinois or Indiana: Workers Compensation Claim vs. Personal Injury Damages
- Catastrophic Injuries in an Accident: Damages for the Loss of a Normal Life
- Wrongful Death Damages After Fatal Work Accidents in Illinois or Indiana
- Who Can Claim Damages After a Work Accident in Indiana or Illinois?
Chicago road construction workers face a grave danger of being hurt or killed in struck-by or caught-between accidents. Please be careful out there!
