Having a loved one die as a result of an employer’s negligence is life-altering. Loss of the loved one and their income can devastate a family. Unfortunately, employers routinely cut corners on trenching projects, making this horrific outcome a far too common reality. You need to immediately contact an experienced Mississippi personal injury attorney if you or a loved one is injured or killed in a trenching accident.
Trenching and excavation work is incredibly dangerous. Too deep trenches lacking sufficient shoring can collapse, crushing those working below, and resulting in serious injury or death. Sadly, these accidents are the result of employers’ unwillingness to take proper safety precautions are entirely preventable. These injuries and deaths are the results of cutting corners.
What Are the Employer’s Responsibilities?
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets standards and protects employees on the job site. Importantly, OSHA also provides protections against retaliation to employees who report unsafe workplace conditions.
Under OSHA and Mississippi workplace safety rules, employers must make sure that trenches are sufficiently supported with shorings, and large mounds of soil cannot obstruct trench exits. It is in construction companies’ interests to remove these hazards, as even if a significant personal injury claim is not brought against them, they can be fined by OSHA for maintaining an unsafe workplace.
Most Trenching Accidents Are Preventable
Workplace laws surrounding trenching are extremely prescriptive because trenching accidents are so often severe and are usually preventable. Sufficient shoring or benching, keeping heaving equipment away from the trenches’ sides, and sufficiently removing excavated earth are all proven work-site techniques for preventing cave-ins on workers working below ground.
Additionally, there are a number of serious environmental factors that endanger workers that are not immediately related to how the trench is dug or shored. In particular, it is extremely important that the employer monitors soil for toxins and environmental conditions such as heavy rains. Soil samples should be taking as trenching commences and continue as work progresses to prevent workers from being exposed to toxic substances trapped in the trenching soil. Employers must have a plan to remove employees and machinery safely from a trench in the case of extreme rain or a water main rupture. Using benching to prevent cave-ins may not be appropriate in very silty or sandy soils; in these conditions, shoring may be the only safe option.
Extreme nearby vibrations can also result in these tragic situations occurring. Employers need to know what other work is going on in the vicinity, as heavy machinery working on utility or building projects nearby may cause vibrations that destabilize soils on their trenched building site.
In short, there are a host of concerns any time you or a loved one are working on a construction project that involves trenching. If an injury or death occurs, it was often preventable and only occurred due to the employer’s negligence or corner-cutting. If that is the case, you have the right to be made whole with the help of an experienced personal injury attorney.
What Should You Do if You or a Loved One is Injured?
If you or a loved one has been injured in a trenching accident, receiving the compensation you are due will require consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney. Trying to settle the case on your own will lead to frustration and a settlement that is a fraction of what you deserve.
Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if a loved one has been injured or killed.
Barrett Law has the experience to take on insurance companies’ defense counsel. Contact us now at (601) 790-1505, to get experienced counsel on your side.
