Construction Trench Collapse Accidents

18 Sep Construction Trench Collapse Accidents

Sometimes construction projects require the use of trenches for routine installations of electrical conduits, sewers, footings, or the need to gain access to various underground structures. It is obvious to those in the industry that trenches are extremely dangerous work areas that require implementation of additional safety precautions in order to avoid preventable accidents. Unfortunately, these type of work accidents still occur far too often. Even for such accidents, Augusta car accident law firm lawyers can be contacted as they have the best attorneys for any kind of accidents.

Common Causes

There are many reasons construction crews dig trenches. When the company fails to follow state and federal guidelines when constructing these trenches, it can cause the trenches to collapse – which can lead to serious personal injury and in many cases, wrongful death.

Trench collapse accidents occur way too often, a fact that is reflected in frequent new stories of these events throughout the United States. During such times, professionals serving injured victims in Bethesda are utmost essential.  Like many other events in business, these occurrences are often the result of companies choosing profits over people. The construction of a proper retaining wall involves time and effort, and many employers choose to bypass this step in order to reduce the amount of time it takes to complete a construction project. Unfortunately, all too often trench accidents are fatal because of the amount of weight which falls onto the trapped worker.

In spite of OSHA guidelines regarding the construction of trenches, these accidents still occur. Trench collapse accidents may occur because of defective materials used in the construction of a retaining wall. Any accidents that occur as a result of negligence on the part of a manufacturer, co-worker, or someone else will be the responsibility of that party.

Responsibility and Liability for Accidents

When someone is injured or dies in a construction trench collapse, it is important to conduct an independent investigation in addition to any other investigations (such as those conducted by OSHA, the employer, or local authorities). These other investigations are certainly beneficial in their own ways, but they do not focus on protecting the rights of the injured party or his family. By hiring a law firm, we can conduct our own investigation in order to determine who was responsible.

People cannot always assume the employer is at fault when there is an injury or death from a trench accident. There are many different factors that are involved in workplace accidents that can dramatically change any legal options that are available to you. Some of the factors that may affect the legal options of an injured party include whether the employer had workers’ compensation and whether the injured party was an actual employee of the company or was an independent contractor (note that even if the victim was labeled an independent contractor, we may be able to prove that they should have been designated as an employee). Additionally, in the event the accident was caused by “gross negligence” and resulted in death, there is a totally different set of rules.

Because of the complexity of construction trench accidents, it’s best for an injured party or his/her family to consult with a lawyer when an accident like this occurs. This is even more essential when the accident results in death or there are circumstances that may affect the responsibility and liability of the employer. Call our office at 1-877-659-1620 to arrange a free consultation with one of our experienced personal injury lawyers.