Over the last 47 years, Leesfield & Partners has led verdict and settlement recoveries in road construction cases throughout the state of Florida. In every road construction case, a rapid response is necessary and paramount for our team of investigators and experts, as well as, our firm’s road construction litigation division, to take vital witness statements, and obtain documentary, video and photographic evidence. The importance of acting quickly and decisively cannot be overstated. To respond quickly, Leesfield & Partners maintains offices at strategic locations throughout the State of Florida, including an office in Key West since 1987.
Below are recent results our team has obtained in road construction cases on behalf of our injured clients and their family:
Confusing highway construction case ends in eight-figure result
Our young motorist client was driving the speed limit when he approached an overpass under construction. At the same time, a temporary traffic signal installed on the other side of the overpass turned red. Our client proceeded through the light because the signal was obstructed by the overpass, rendering it difficult to react in time, to slow down or stop. At the same time, the vehicles that had the green light proceeded across our client’s travel lane, causing a massive collision and significant injuries.
Our thorough investigation and inspections revealed that our client was not the first motorist to have fallen into this road construction trap. No fewer than fifteen complaints and incidents had occurred before our client’s near fatal accident. The violations of safety laws by the road construction companies were so numerous and the disregard for motorist safety so overwhelming, an eight-figure pre-trial settlement was reached on behalf of our client’s family.
$50,000 coverage yields $10,500,000 settlement in road construction tragedy
Our firm concluded a motor vehicle case turning $50,000 coverage into a $10,500,000 settlement. The defendant vehicle went out of control on a Florida interstate crossing four lanes and colliding with our client’s vehicle, causing death and injuries. Our firm’s in-depth investigation and thinking “out of the box” found numerous violations on behalf of the road contractor which contributed to this tragedy. Although the defendant driver purchased only $50,000 coverage, the total settlement was $10,500,000 when the road construction defendant, under-insured and bad faith claims were litigated.
Plaintiff strikes rear of road construction equipment resulting in a $5,000,000 recovery
Our client was driving in a construction zone. The configuration, markings and channeling of the road caused him to collide with the rear end of the defendant’s heavy construction equipment, which was improperly on the road in violation of Florida’s Department of Transportation standards. Through creative litigation, our firm obtained a $5,000,000 result for this family whose breadwinner suffered significant injuries when confused by the road construction defects.
Despite many verbal warnings, the construction engineer and inspector for the road contractor failed to correct confusing markings at the entrance of a road construction zone. Instead of marking or blocking off the entrance with any sort of traffic barrels or barricades, the Apex looked like it was another lane of travel on a highway where motorists travel at 65 mph. Leaving the entrance to the construction zone wide open created confusion and the perfect dangerous trap for unsuspecting motorists.
Our clients were passengers in a vehicle that mistakenly drove into what everyone thought was a lane of travel, instead the vehicle ended up in the construction zone that was hazardously and recklessly left wide opened. At 70 mph, our clients’ car plowed head on into a pile of steel drilling pipes. Our investigation uncovered key witnesses who testified that there were no lights illuminating the construction zone, no workers were present doing any construction, no barricades or barrels were in front of the entrance to this construction zone. A $1,300,000 recovery was secured in less than 18 months.
Family of local lawyer awarded $830,000 struck and killed in a disorienting construction zone
The irregular and deceptive design of the layout and traffic control in a heavily traveled street caused a bus to strike this very prominent member of the Florida Bar, resulting in his death. Our firm’s efforts established numerous violations of road and sign construction principles and a complete failure to control the flow of pedestrian traffic to protect our client’s safety. We also “broke the cap” of sovereign immunity alleged by the city bus company, and obtained a substantial contribution from the road construction defendant.
Construction site liability – the road to winning…
Frequently, the “non-obvious” defendant at the motor vehicle collision scene is the road contractor, highway designer or other roadside entity involved in the construction, inspection, paving, signing engineering or safety supervision of a new highway under reconstruction.
For further information on these cases, visit our website or call us at (305) 854-4900 / (800) 836-6400 if you were involved in an incident that resulted from a dangerous road construction site.