St. Louis Trenching Accident Lawyer

Trenches are a necessary aspect of many building projects and utility installations. Unfortunately, excavating trenches and working in a trench are among the most dangerous operations in any industry, with high instances of injuries and fatalities. Cave-ins, falls, and other accidents can cause serious harm to a St. Louis worker, resulting in financial anxieties as well as physical pain, temporary or permanent disability, or wrongful death. Let our St. Louis trenching accident attorney handle your financial recovery.

What Types of Injuries Occur In St. Louis Trench Accidents?

Employers must carefully follow OSHA standards and safety protocols for digging, supporting, and working in trenches. Unfortunately, sometimes site managers make errors, cut corners, or fail to follow or enforce safety measures. Trench accidents from cave-ins, collapses, falls, and falling rocks or objects continue to cause injuries such as the following:

• Suffocation or asphyxiation
• Crush injuries, including compartment syndrome requiring amputation
• Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Fractures
• Spinal cord injuries
• Internal organ injuries and internal bleeding
• Accidental drowning
• Electrocutions
• Respiratory illnesses from exposure to soil, dust, and gases
• Chemical exposures

In addition, trench accident survivors often experience emotional harm, such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances, particularly those who suffered injuries and trauma in trench collapses, cave-ins, and near drownings.

Recovering Damages In St. Louis Trenching Accidents

Construction and utility companies, site managers, and contractors must carefully follow crucial OSHA safety standards for erecting supports, shields, and protective systems to stabilize and secure trenches and prevent cave-ins. Other standards require examining and analyzing soil type and the location of pipes, gas lines, and electrical lines. When a worker experiences a preventable workplace trenching accident in St. Louis and suffers an injury, they have the right to compensation for their lost wages and medical expenses through a St. Louis workers’ compensation claim.

If a contractor or property owner is at fault for a trench accident, the injury victim can recover additional compensation through a third-party lawsuit against a non-employer. If the trench accident caused a fatality, a close surviving family member can obtain compensation through a wrongful death claim. A third-party claim allows additional compensation for pain and suffering, which isn’t available through workers’ compensation.

Understanding the Dangers of Trenching and Excavation In St. Louis

A trench is a uniquely narrow and deep type of below-ground excavation, commonly used for installing key components of infrastructure, such as pipes, retaining walls, and other structural supports. Because a trench’s depth is typically greater than its width, it presents unique dangers, including the following types of accidents:

• Falls into trenches
• Cave-ins and collapses that result in worker smothering
• Construction equipment and vehicles falling into a trench onto a worker
• Failing to identify gas and utility lines, resulting in toxic exposures and explosions
• Failing to identify wiring, resulting in worker electrocutions
• Failing to identify water pipes, resulting in drownings
• Injuries from falling rocks and soil
• Water accumulation hazards from rain, storms, and accidental ingress from nearby bodies of water

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports an alarming 373 worker deaths from trench accidents between 2003-2017. OSHA data from a ten-year study shows that 85% of trench worker deaths occurred in the construction industry, making it 112% more dangerous than other construction occupations.

How Can a St. Louis Trenching Accident Lawyer Help?

Recovering the full compensation you deserve for a serious injury or the loss of a loved one in a trench accident in St. Louis requires a careful strategy and assertive personal injury legal representation. Whether your claim is against workers’ compensation insurance or against a negligent contractor, property owner, or other entity, insurance companies rarely pay out the full value of damages without strong legal representation. Contact Miller & Hine Attorneys at Law to learn more about the options available to you and how an attorney can help.