#trenchaccident #injurylawyer #trapdooraccident #lawoffice #workerscompensation #sidewalkfall #constructionaccident #legalhelp
Open Trench
Trench Accident - Construction and roadwork in general come with a wide variety of risks. Construction workers are at the forefront of these risks. However, the general public is also at risk when people are exposed to roadwork and construction. Trenches are one example of a dangerous condition that exists on construction sites and during roadwork. Open trenches are dangerous because they are often hard to notice during activity. This leaves open the risk of taking a fall down into one while walking or riding a bicycle. Plus the injuries sustained from a hard fall down are often very bad, including broken bones and back injuries. they can cause also catastrophic incidents from cave-in onto the person who has fallen into the hole or from a construction worker working within one. While construction and roadwork sites are required to abide by safety regulations, a lot of sites are not tightly regulated and in fact neglect to implement any safety measures at all.
Trap Door Falls - These are similar but occur indoors. Many businesses have basements where supplies are stored. While trap doors are less prevalent in California than in New York, they do exist. Falls usually happen when they are negligently left open and unattended. When this happens, unknowing victims do not notice the open door in the floor and misstep down into it. This results in a long fall to the basement ground below. The impact from an 8-10 foot fall can cause catastrophic injury.
Different Ways These Incidents Occur
Trap Door
A trench accident can occur in a variety of different ways. Two of them are not from falling into the hole but can possibly happen subsequently. Let's take a look at some of the common scenarios in order to be prepared to spot dangerous conditions.
- Fall: When a trench is left unguarded, pedestrians and cyclists can accidentally fall in, resulting in any number of serious injuries. When they remain unguarded and unmarked, the odds of falling into one increases exponentially as the unknowing victim does not notice it at all.
- Collapse/ Cave-in: If a trench is not properly shored, it increases its likelihood to collapse which in return buries and crush workers or members of the general public who have fallen inside of it.
- Heavy Machinery or Tools Falling Into or Collapsing Trench: Workers can be injured if heavy machinery or tools are left unsecured. In these instances machinery falls into the down where it would normally simply fall to the side causing no harm to anyone. Plus, since the danger comes from above, it does not allow for the worker to simply move out of the way to avoid the danger. Injuries can therefore be sustained by the machines falling onto the workers.
It is less common for those in basements to experience trauma from tools or machinery falling onto them. This is because trap doors generally lead to a larger area and therefore only expose workers to hazard during ingress and egress. And, of course, they do not collapse.
Common Injuries Sustained in Trench and Trap Door Accidents
Trench and trap door accidents are much more common than one would at first suspect. While some make it out without much injury, most suffer severe injuries. Unlike other types of incidents, these almost always result in extreme bodily harm. Some of the likely outcomes require surgery as treatment. Others are so bad that death or paralysis results. Here are some common injuries sustained in these types of incidents door accidents:
- Traumatic brain injury;
- Head injuries including skull fracture and concussions;
- Spinal Cord injuries including paralysis;
- Bone fractures;
- Nerve damage;
- Amputation and disfigurement; and
- Death.
Trap Door and Trench Accident Injuries Lawyers
Trench Accident Lawyers
Are you injured and suffering from falling into a trench or trap door while walking or riding your bike? Do you have a close family member or friend who is? If yes then you need to consult with us as soon as possible. While workers in California are protected under the Workers' Compensation system, the general public is not. This means that they must show liability on the person who runs the construction site or on the property owner. In order to prove liability (or negligence), an investigation into who is liable and what the site looks like before it changes must happen. And, because these incidents are the cause of serious injuries that have lifelong consequences, the stakes are high. However, if there was a third party involved in the accident, then you could also pursue a civil jury trial to recover for your damages. Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer has both the experience and the resources of a powerful plaintiff's law firm. Our attorneys have decades of trial experience and know how to prove and recover on catastrophic injury lawsuits.