The Capital Beltway carries close to a quarter of a million vehicles each day through Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. When traffic slows, when crews step out of their trucks, and when cones replace lane lines, the margin for error shrinks to almost nothing. The recent loss of a Maryland highway worker on the inner loop of I-495 near Forestville is a sobering reminder that work zone safety is not just a courtesy. It is the law, and it carries serious civil and criminal consequences when ignored.
This guide explains how I-495 work zone accidents happen in Maryland, what the law expects of every driver who passes a crew, and what options injured workers, motorists, and surviving families have under state and federal rules. The information here is general in nature and is not a substitute for advice tailored to your situation.
What Happened on I-495 Near Forestville
According to Maryland State Police, troopers responded shortly before noon on April 25, 2026, to a two-vehicle crash on the inner loop of Interstate 495 near exit 4 at Maryland Route 414 in the Forestville area of Prince George’s County. While that initial collision was being managed, a highway worker had stepped out of his emergency work vehicle to set up cones and divert traffic from the scene. He was struck by a passing vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. State Police have indicated that the investigation is ongoing and that charges are pending.
The incident is heartbreaking on its own. It is also part of a broader, well-documented pattern. The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse reports that hundreds of people die in U.S. work zones every year, and the great majority of those killed are drivers and passengers, not workers. The risk reaches in every direction the moment a lane closes.
Why I-495 Is a High-Risk Corridor
The Beltway is one of the busiest stretches of interstate on the East Coast. It mixes long-haul trucks, daily commuters, ride-share vehicles, and out-of-town drivers who do not know the road. Add construction, repaving, sign replacement, and emergency response, and you have a recipe for sudden lane shifts at high speed.
Several factors make the corridor especially dangerous when crews are present. Speeds remain high even when posted limits drop. Sight lines are often short because of curves, hills, and sound walls. Drivers underestimate how quickly a stopped vehicle or a worker on foot will appear. And distractions, from phones to in-dash screens, take eyes off the road at the worst possible moment.
The Forestville stretch where this most recent incident occurred has long been flagged by traffic engineers as a complex zone. Multiple ramps merge and diverge in a short distance. Trucks frequently change lanes to position for upcoming exits. Even small disruptions can create stop-and-go waves that travel backward through traffic for a mile or more, producing the exact rear-end and sideswipe risks that work zones are designed to mitigate.
Maryland Law on Work Zones
Maryland treats work zones as a special enforcement priority. The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration and the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration publish detailed guidance on speed reductions, signage, and barrier placement.
Two rules deserve attention. First, fines for traffic violations in active work zones are doubled under Maryland Transportation Article § 21-810. Second, Maryland operates an automated speed enforcement program that issues citations to vehicles caught exceeding the posted limit by 12 miles per hour or more in marked work zones. Repeat offenders can face higher penalties and license consequences.
Maryland also has a Move Over law. When a stopped emergency, transportation, service, or utility vehicle is displaying flashing lights on a highway, drivers must move to a non-adjacent lane if it is safe to do so, or slow to a reasonable and prudent speed if changing lanes is not possible. Violating the MoveOver law is a primary offense and can result in points, fines, and, in cases involving injury or death, far more serious charges.
Beyond the traffic code, Maryland recognizes a body of common law negligence principles that apply to every driver. The standard is what a reasonably careful driver would do under similar circumstances. In a work zone, that standard is heightened because the hazards are visible and the warnings are clear. A motorist who blows past orange signs and flashing arrow boards has little room to argue that the danger was a surprise.
Common Causes of I-495 Work Zone Accidents
Investigators repeatedly identify the same handful of behaviors in serious work zone crashes on the Beltway. Speeding into a slowdown is the most common. Drivers see brake lights ahead but assume traffic will keep moving and react too late. Following too closely is a close second. Heavy trucks need significantly more distance to stop than passenger cars, and a tailgating tractor-trailer near a lane closure is a known catastrophic risk.
Distracted driving is a growing factor. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that even a few seconds of looking away covers the length of a football field at highway speed. In a work zone, those seconds are often the difference between a near miss and a fatality.
Impaired driving and fatigue round out the list. Long-haul drivers passing through the region, late-shift commuters, and drivers under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, or prescription medication are overrepresented in serious work zone collisions. Aggressive lane changes near tapers and merging points are another frequent factor. When a driver tries to gain a single car length at the last second, the geometry of a closing lane works against them, and the result is often a sideswipe that pushes a vehicle into workers or stopped traffic.
Liability After a Beltway Work Zone Crash
Liability in a work zone case can be more complicated than a typical rear-end collision. Several parties may share responsibility depending on the facts.
The driver who struck the worker or another motorist is usually the first focus. If that driver was speeding, distracted, or impaired, they may be civilly liable and potentially criminally responsible. If the driver was on the job at the time, the employer may also bear responsibility under the doctrine of respondeat superior. Trucking companies, delivery firms, and ride-share operators frequently appear on the defense side of work zone cases.
Contractors and subcontractors performing the road work may also have duties. Federal Highway Administration guidance and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices set standards for advance warning, taper length, channelizing devices, flagger placement, and lighting. A contractor that ignored these standards, failed to adjust to changing conditions, or sent workers into traffic without adequate protection may face claims from injured workers, motorists, or families.
In some cases the vehicle itself plays a role. Defective brakes, tire failures, and faulty advanced driver assistance systems have all been implicated in highway crashes. Product liability claims are technical and require early preservation of the vehicle. State and local governments occasionally appear in the analysis as well, though sovereign immunity rules and notice requirements make those claims more difficult and time-sensitive.
Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Claims
Highway workers injured on the job in Maryland are generally covered by workers’ compensation through the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission. Benefits can include medical care, wage replacement, vocational rehabilitation, and, in fatal cases, dependency benefits for surviving spouses and children.
Workers’ compensation, however, is not the only avenue. When someone other than the worker’s employer causes the injury, a separate third-party claim may be available. A negligent driver who strikes a worker on the Beltway is the classic example. These claims can recover damages that workers’ compensation does not, including pain and suffering and full lost earnings. Coordination between the two systems is detailed and time-sensitive, which is why early legal guidance matters.
Lien and subrogation issues add another layer. The workers’ compensation insurer typically has the right to seek reimbursement out of any third-party recovery. Negotiating that lien is a meaningful part of maximizing what an injured worker or family ultimately keeps. Health insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid may also assert liens, and each has its own rules and timelines.
Wrongful Death and Survival Actions
When a work zone crash takes a life, Maryland law recognizes two distinct claims. A wrongful death action belongs to the surviving spouse, parents, and children, and compensates them for the loss of the relationship, including companionship, guidance, and financial support. A survival action belongs to the estate and addresses the losses the decedent suffered between the moment of injury and death, such as conscious pain and suffering, medical expenses, and lost wages.
The statute of limitations for most wrongful death claims in Maryland is three years from the date of death, but specific deadlines can be shorter when a government entity is involved. Notice requirements under the Maryland Tort Claims Act and the Local Government Tort Claims Act are strict and unforgiving. Families considering a claim should learn more about wrongful death claims early so that no deadline passes unnoticed.
What Drivers Should Do Near a Work Zone
Most work zone crashes are preventable with a few habits. Slow down at the first orange sign, not at the last cone. Move out of the closest lane to the work area when it is safe. Put the phone down and keep both hands on the wheel. Build extra following distance, because traffic ahead can stop without warning. Watch for flaggers and obey their signals, even if a green light or open lane suggests otherwise.
If you see a stopped emergency or service vehicle with flashing lights, treat it as a Move Over situation. Maryland law requires it, and the few seconds of inconvenience are nothing compared to the cost of a serious crash.
Trip planning helps too. Checking traffic conditions before leaving, choosing alternate routes during peak construction, and allowing extra travel time all reduce the temptation to drive aggressively when delays appear. The Maryland CHART traveler information system publishes live updates on lane closures, incidents, and construction across the state highway network.
What Injured Motorists and Workers Should Do After a Crash
The hours after a Beltway crash are chaotic. A clear, simple checklist helps protect health and legal rights.
Get medical attention promptly, even if injuries seem minor. Adrenaline masks symptoms, and conditions like concussions and soft-tissue injuries can worsen overnight. Report the crash to law enforcement and request a copy of the report number. Photograph the scene, the vehicles, the lane configuration, and any signage if it is safe to do so. Gather contact information for witnesses, including other workers who saw what happened.
Do not give a recorded statement to another driver’s insurance company before consulting a lawyer. Be careful about social media, since posts and photos are routinely used as evidence. Preserve dashcam footage, vehicle event data recorder information, and any electronic logging device data if a commercial vehicle was involved. These records can disappear quickly without a preservation request.
Keep a running journal of medical visits, missed work, and how the injury affects daily life. Save receipts for medications, mileage to appointments, and any out-of-pocket expense linked to the crash. Contemporaneous notes carry significant weight when memories fade and insurers question the seriousness of injuries months later.
Insurance Issues Specific to Maryland
Maryland is a contributory negligence jurisdiction. If an injured person is found even one percent at fault, recovery in a negligence case can be barred. This rule makes the early investigation of a work zone crash unusually important. The way a vehicle’s position, speed, and following distance are documented in the first days can shape the entire case.
Maryland also requires uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on auto policies. After a serious crash, this coverage often becomes the most important source of recovery, especially when the at-fault driver carries minimum limits. Reviewing your own policy with counsel can reveal benefits you did not know you had.
Personal injury protection, sometimes called PIP, is another feature of many Maryland policies. PIP pays a portion of medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault, and it does not require repayment in the same way health insurance often does. Drivers should check whether they waived PIP when they purchased the policy and consider adding it back at renewal.
How a Maryland Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help
Work zone cases reward early, methodical work. Counsel can send preservation letters to trucking companies and contractors, retain accident reconstruction experts, obtain traffic control plans, request 911 audio, and subpoena dashcam and surveillance video before it is overwritten. Counsel can also coordinate the workers’ compensation claim with any third-party action so that liens are negotiated and net recovery is protected.
If you were hurt in a Beltway crash or lost a loved one in one, you can read more about how our firm approaches these matters on our Maryland personal injury page or our Prince George’s County personal injury page. Drivers involved in commercial vehicle collisions can also visit our Maryland truck accident resource and our Maryland car accident resource for more on the issues that often appear in these claims. Pedestrians and roadside workers struck by vehicles may find our information on pedestrian accident claims useful as well.
Our team also handles related matters that often appear alongside work zone claims, including motorcycle and bicycle incidents on shared roadways near construction. Background on the lawyers who would handle a case is available on our attorney profiles page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the driver who hit a highway worker automatically at fault?
No. Fault depends on the facts. Investigators look at speed, attention, sobriety, lane position, signage, and visibility. Many work zone cases involve clear driver fault, but not every case is straightforward, and Maryland’s contributory negligence rule can complicate close cases.
Can a worker sue if workers’ compensation already covers the injury?
Workers’ compensation generally bars suits against the worker’s own employer. It does not bar claims against a negligent third party, such as a driver who caused the crash or another contractor who created an unsafe traffic pattern. These third-party claims can run alongside the comp claim.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Most personal injury claims in Maryland must be filed within three years. Wrongful death claims usually have a three-year deadline as well. Claims involving state or local government can require notice in as little as one year. Because deadlines vary, it is wise to speak with a lawyer promptly.
What if the at-fault driver has minimal insurance?
Underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy may apply. So may policies covering a commercial driver’s employer. A careful review of every available policy is part of any thorough investigation.
Does it matter that the crash happened on a federal interstate?
For most civil claims, Maryland law still governs because the crash occurred within the state. Federal regulations can become relevant when commercial trucks are involved, since interstate carriers are subject to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules on hours of service, vehicle maintenance, and driver qualifications.
A Closing Word on Safety
Highway workers are someone’s spouse, parent, child, and friend. So is every driver and passenger sharing the road with them. A few seconds of patience, attention, and obedience to the orange signs can spare a family the kind of grief Maryland felt this past weekend. The legal system can hold wrongdoers accountable and provide measures of compensation, but it cannot bring anyone back. Slowing down is free. It also works.
If you have questions about a specific Beltway or I-495 work zone incident, you are welcome to learn more about our team on our attorney profiles page or to reach us through our contact page. We offer general information here and tailor advice to the facts of each matter.
