Issaquah Trenching & Excavation Accident Attorney
When construction site workers enter trenches and other excavation sites, they are putting themselves at risk for their jobs. Trench and excavation collapse happen far too often, and sadly these are accidents that are usually preventable but for the negligence and recklessness of others on the site. If you or someone you know has been hurt, or killed, in a trench or excavation collapse in the Issaquah area a knowledgeable and skilled Issaquah trenching & excavation accident attorney at Injury Law Group NW have the experience you need for your personal injury case. To learn more, call or contact our office today to schedule your free case consultation.
Trench and Excavation Facts
An excavation is defined as any manmade cut, cavity, or depression caused by earth removal, and a trench is a particular type of excavation defined by its narrow shape that is usually deeper than it is wide, with the width not exceeding fifteen feet. Between 2013-2017 there were nearly one hundred deaths caused by trench and excavation collapse and hundred more injured in these accidents. Although it may not seem very dangerous, one cubic foot of dirt can weigh more than 3,000 pounds, which can severely injure or kill someone in an excavation or trench.
Around 75 percent of all trench and excavation collapse fatalities happen at residential worksites, with less than ten employees and very few people at the worksite at the time of the accident. Most accidents occur when installing pipe at a construction site location, with construction site workers and pipefitters constituting the majority of trench and excavation accident fatalities.
Causes of Trench & Excavation Accidents
There are many causes of trench and excavation site accidents, with many being due to unsafe conditions on site. Negligence and recklessness by employers and supervisors can lead to the following trench and excavation accidents:
- Falls,
- Cave-ins,
- Asphyxiation accidents,
- Electrocution,
- Explosions, and
- Crushing injuries.
Basic safety standards can prevent many trench and excavation accidents, such as providing adequate ventilation, locating utility lines, installing trench boxes, providing personal safety equipment, and providing walking surfaces around the edges of an excavation or trench, but far too often these safeguards are not in place when an injury occurs.
Compensation for Trench & Excavation Accidents
Workers and others who are injured in trench and excavation accidents are entitled to compensation for their economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages, also known as special damages, cover a victim’s medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and the loss of future income and benefits. Noneconomic damages cover a victim’s pain and suffering, emotional distress, disability, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life.
In the most tragic cases, when a victim dies in a trench or excavation accident, the family of the deceased can also seek compensation in the form of a wrongful death claim. Wrongful death damages include compensation for any final medical bills, funeral and burial costs, pain and suffering of the victim, and for the family’s loss of love, support, guidance, and companionship.
Talk to Our Office
If you are interested in learning more about what your case might be worth, talk to an experienced Issaquah Trenching and Excavation Accident Attorney at Injury Law Group NW in Issaquah today.
