A 42-year-old Oklahoma laborer accepted a temporary position digging shallow trenches on a stadium project for a subcontractor. However, when he arrived at work, he was instead assigned to lay pipe in a six-foot trench that was five feet wide at the top and four feet wide at the bottom. The uneven trench collapsed on the worker, covering him in dirt up to his neck.
The man suffered a collapsed lung, fractured ribs, a kidney laceration, and other serious injuries requiring various neck and shoulder surgeries. After being in intensive care for a week and hospitalized for an additional two weeks, his medical expenses totaled over $200,000. He is now permanently disabled because of the construction accident.
The laborer sued one of the subcontractors on the project, claiming that they failed to provide adequate safety instructions, failed to reinforce the uneven trench walls, and failed to perform a proper rescue. He also claimed that the company intentionally put him in a dangerous situation, knowing that the ground was wet from heavy rain and that the dirt removed from the trench had been piled too close to its edge.
Construction is a dangerous job. Workers have a right to expect that that the circumstances they have been placed in are carefully monitored to avoid collapsed equipment, defective machinery, falls, and other accidents that can cause serious injury.
If you have been injured in a construction accident in Oklahoma, please contact the experienced construction accident attorneys at Stipe & Belote today to schedule a free case evaluation.
