There is little dispute that the construction industry is the most dangerous occupation for serious accidents that result in debilitating injuries and fatalities. While there are many dangers and hazards that pose a risk of serious injury or fatality on Mississippi construction sites. Trenching and excavator accidents are among the most dangerous types of construction project hazards. Trenching accidents can result in a horrific scenario where those in the trench are trapped and suffocated in cave-ins, trench collapses or sidewalk collapses. Although OSHA promulgates specific regulations and safeguards that are designed to protect construction workers from trench collapse accidents, these regulations and safeguards are often ignored, frequently with tragic results.
Inexperienced or careless excavator operators, defectively designed or manufactured excavator equipment or lack of compliance with OSHA and other safety regulations may cause serious and even fatal trenching and excavator accidents. A construction worker who is at the bottom of a trench can be extremely vulnerable when excavated soil accumulates too close to the edge of the trench compromising the strength of the trench wall.
When vibration from an excavator or backhoe is added to the equation, it can cause the sidewalls to collapse, and the soil that has accumulated next to the trench may cave in and cause body crush injuries or suffocation to anyone at the bottom of the trench. When an excavator is operated too close to the edge of the trench, it can also cause the trench to collapse and/or the excavator to rollover. When the excavator rolls over, it can crush the operator who is inside the excavator or those nearby working on the ground. Another common type of excavator injury involves improperly secured buckets that fall from the excavator crushing those on the ground.
Although there are a wide range of trench collapse and excavator accidents that occur on construction sites, the most common types includes the following:
Unauthorized and Inexperienced Operators: if the operator of the excavator leaves the machinery unattended with the keys in the ignition, which is a common practice, an inexperienced person on the construction site may attempt to operate the excavator and cause a serious accident.
Excavator Collisions: An inattentive, inexperienced or careless excavator operator may collide with other heavy machinery being operated on the construction site, or pedestrians on the ground. Distracted excavator drivers may remain unaware of potential driving hazards on the construction site or fail to notice construction workers in the path of the heavy machinery. Operation of an excavator on a construction site requires an experienced driver because of the uneven and rough terrain that can make it easier for an excavator to be involved in a rollover accident.
Crush Injuries Caused by Improperly Secured Buckets: If the bucket of the excavator is not properly attached and secured it can fall and crush those on the ground. Sometimes excavator operators who are rushing, inattentive or inexperienced fail to verify that the bucket is properly attached to the jib or that the quick hitch pins are properly secured in place. Excavator crush accidents caused by falling buckets are particularly common with quick couplers, which the operator controls hydraulically from within the vehicle to facilitate quickly change the jib attachments. This is an especially serious risk with older excavators that do not have manual safety pins.
Trench Collapse Accidents: The excavator operator may use the machinery too close to the edge of an improperly shored trench causing the trench to collapse and the excavator to rollover. The operator of the excavator or anyone on the ground in the vicinity of the excavator may suffer catastrophic injuries. An excavator should never be used close to a trench when someone is inside but a careless operator may fail to check and verify that it is safe.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data there were over 270 people killed in excavator and trench collapse accidents during a recent six year period. We invite you to contact us if you have been involved in a trench collapse accident or excavator accident in Mississippi. At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi. Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.