How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 298 severe incidents involving you being struck by vehicles in road work zones between 2015 and 2025. Fractures are the most common outcome, accounting for 56% of all reported cases. These injuries often require extensive surgery and long-term rehabilitation.
The danger stems from the high-energy impact of heavy machinery and passenger vehicles. Because these incidents involve heavy equipment, the resulting injuries often carry significant long-term medical and financial consequences for you.
Common injuries
These incidents typically occur when traffic control measures fail or drivers ignore work zone warnings. Roadway vehicles, including passenger cars and trucks, are the primary source of these injuries. You are often struck while performing flagging duties, removing pavement markings, or clearing traffic closures, leaving you exposed to high-speed traffic or backing equipment.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fractures | 156 |
| 2 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 30 |
| 3 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 29 |
| 4 | Intracranial Injuries | 21 |
| 5 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 12 |
| 6 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 8 |
| 7 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 7 |
| 8 | Injuries to the brain, spinal cord and other injuries | 4 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction accounts for 69% of these severe incidents. The high volume of heavy earth-moving machinery and your proximity to active traffic lanes create a constant risk of collision. Employers in this sector must maintain strict traffic control plans to prevent these accidents.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports include you being struck while directing backing trucks, being pinned against equipment by moving vehicles, or being hit by distracted drivers veering into work zones. These incidents often involve a breakdown in communication between equipment operators and ground crews. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "On July 10, 2025, two crews were removing stripes and then re-striping pavement in a lane that was fully closed. The injured employee was assisting a subcontracted blasting truck with backing up approximately 1,000 feet to continue stripe removal operations. After giving directions, the employee went to mark additional spots when the truck knocked him to the ground and rolled over his lower half, resulting in fractures to both legs, his hip, and his right ankle." | |
| 2025 | PA | Construction | "An employee was performing flagging duties for a work zone while standing on the shoulder of a two-lane road. The mirror of a passing pickup truck struck the employee, resulting in injuries to their head, neck, left shoulder, and left arm." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was picking up a traffic closure when an 18-wheeler rear-ended the truck-mounted attenuator (TMA). The impact spun the TMA sideways and forward; it struck the employee before impacting the barrier wall. The employee sustained a concussion to the right side of the forehead and a fractured left femur." | |
| 2025 | OH | Manufacturing | "At about 5:15 p.m. on June 14, 2025, an employee was using a walk-behind mower to mow middle islands along a road. A support truck with an arrow board sign was following behind to control traffic. The truck lurched forward and struck the employee from behind, pinning the employee against the mower. The employee suffered a fractured hip, a right iliac wing fracture, right femoral nerve damage, and puncture wounds to the right leg. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | PA | Administrative Services | "An employee was flagging traffic on a public road near a tree trimming operation. A car stopped next to him as he stood on the shoulder. A second car, approaching at high speed and about to strike the first car, veered onto the shoulder and struck the employee instead. He suffered a broken tooth, a laceration on his tongue, a laceration and bruise on his head, several broken bones, and a hematoma on his left thigh. He was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | FL | Administrative Services | "An employee was blowing grass clippings while performing landscaping activities near the shoulder of the road. A vehicle mounted the curb and struck the employee. The road was wet at the time. The employee sustained injuries to their head and lower body." | |
| 2025 | ND | Construction | "An employee was raking gravel in a road lane. A pilot car struck the employee, who suffered fractures to their ribs, tailbone, and right hip." | |
| 2025 | FL | Administrative Services | "An employee was placing traffic cones for a lane closure when a vehicle entered the closure zone and struck them. The employee suffered a broken right tibia and knee." | |
| 2025 | AL | Wholesale Trade | "An employee was walking down the road when a tack truck backed over him. The employee sustained fractures to his right ankle and a crushed pelvis." | |
| 2025 | TX | Utilities | "An employee was installing material on a utility pole before setting the pole into the ground. A vehicle entered the work area and struck the pole. The utility pole struck the employee in the leg and they were hospitalized with a fractured leg." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Fractures are the most frequent injury, occurring in 56% of reported cases. These often involve the legs, hips, and lower extremities, though head and internal injuries are also common due to the force of impact. An attorney can help you document the full extent of your injuries for your claim.
Employers are required to provide a safe work environment, which includes implementing proper traffic control plans and protective barriers. If your employer failed to follow safety regulations or provided inadequate training for work zone safety, they may be liable for your injuries. An attorney can help you investigate whether safety protocols were ignored.
Workers' Compensation is designed to cover medical expenses and lost wages for injuries sustained on the job, including those caused by vehicle accidents. Even if the accident involved a third-party driver, you are generally entitled to benefits through your employer. An attorney can help you ensure your claim is processed correctly and that you receive the full benefits you are owed.
OSHA mandates specific safety requirements for construction sites and road work, including the use of high-visibility clothing, proper signage, and physical barriers to separate you from traffic. Failure to adhere to these standards is a common factor in severe injury cases. An attorney can help you determine if your employer violated these critical safety regulations.