On construction and mining sites and other locations where digging and excavation are carried out, trench accidents are probably the most hazardous. This high-risk occupation calls for deep trenches to be dug for installing electrical, water/sewage connections, basements etc and accidents can cause severe injuries or even death.

If you have been involved in a trench accident or lost a loved one in such a disaster, contact a personal injury lawyer without delay. Accidents are caused by someone’s fault or negligence and the injured are entitled to seek compensation from those responsible for the accident. 

Types of Trench Accidents

• Cave-ins are the most common type of trench accidents.
• Slip and fall accidents
• Falling load
• Buried under debris
• Hazardous gases and noxious fumes
• Flooding/Drowning
• Asphyxiation
• Electrocution
• Explosions

Trench accidents cause a variety of injuries, serious and less-serious. They include:

• wounds, cuts, lacerations
• sprains, burns
• broken bones, fractures
• traumatic brain and spinal injury
• amputation
• disfigurement
• loss of vision
• head and neck injuries
• disability/paralysis
• permanent, long/short term disability
• psychiatric and psychological trauma
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• depression, anxiety, phobia

Following a trench accident, it’s essential to get immediate medical help. Our accident injury lawyers available 24×7 can assist victims and their families to get top-quality medical attention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation to ensure that everything medically possible is done to help the victim.

How Trench Accidents Are Caused 

Excavations are inherently unstable. In confined spaces, the additional risk of oxygen depletion, release of toxic gases and flooding is ever present. Though these accidents do occur, almost all of them are preventable and avoidable, if proper precautions are taken by those in charge of the project and the operators/workers.

Some of the reasons for trench accidents to happen include:

• Lack of research into soil conditions
• Lack of understanding of soil plasticity and soil classification
• Failure to use protective equipment and gear
• Failure to map underground pipes/gas-lines, utilities
• Failure to control over-ground traffic
• Lack of proper shoring of tunnels
• Inexperienced, untrained, unlicensed operators
• Lack of communication systems
• Excessive loads and surcharge loads used in the pit/tunnel
• Equipment failure
• Improper placement of equipment
• Inadequate testing for oxygen, hazardous fumes and toxic/noxious gases
• Weather conditions
• Inadequate or irregular inspection after each shift
• Lack of safety/emergency exits and entrances

Based on these factors and many others, our free consultation injury lawyers can provide an initial assessment of your claim and advise you on the best way forward.

How We Can Assist

Such cases can be quite challenging even for experienced personal injury lawyers. Though insurance coverage would be available, it may not cover the nature and extent of injuries suffered. Our traumatic brain injury lawyers can conduct independent investigations and establish liability of all the parties involved. Find a personal injury lawyer with specific experience/knowledge/expertise in handling similar cases. Our 24×7 injury lawyers can represent victims or their families (in case of wrongful death) throughout the duration of the case and ensure that their rights are protected.

If you, your family or a friend has been injured in an accident, please feel free to speak to one of our injury lawyers for a free consultation about how we are able to assist in making a personal injury claim. We consult in all cities across Ontario with a no win no fee guarantee. Our personal injury lawyers have helped victims secure millions of dollars in personal injury cases. Call us Toll Free On our 24/7 Injury Hotline: 1 – 844 495 7333 or Text a Personal Injury ‎Lawyer 24/7 and get instant help. (416 931 5015)