Leveling the Field between Injured Iowans and Insurance Companies.

When a Failure to Follow Safety Standards Leads to an Iowa Trench Collapse

It's no secret that trench and excavation work on a construction site is dangerous. In fact, 271 fatal construction injuries occurred as a result of trench collapse accidents, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics numbers from 2000 to 2006.

Accordingly, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has mandated a number of safety procedures construction companies and contractors must follow to prevent a trench collapse accident.

Some of the trench safety standards include: 

• use of protective boxes or restraints;
• use of tests to determine the levels of oxygen or toxic fumes;
• use of tests to determine soil conditions; and
• daily inspections of the construction site and trench conditions. 

Unfortunately, when safety standards are not followed, a trench collapse in Iowa can occur and may leave you and other fellow workers with severe injuries. When this happens, you may file an Iowa Workers' Compensation claim to cover your medical expenses and a percentage of your lost wages, depending on the severity of your construction injury.

While filing an Iowa Workers' Compensation claim for your trench collapse injuries is one of the first steps you must take to account for your losses, be aware that you may not be offered adequate benefits, and that the doctor your employer's insurance carrier chooses may not satisfactorily evaluate your condition. To reduce this chance, you may want to hire a Des Moines Workers' Compensation attorney as early as possible to help with your claim. 

Contacting a Des Moines Workers' Compensation Attorney

The Des Moines Workers' Compensation attorney team at Walker, Billingsley & Bair know the importance of protecting your work injury claim from the get-go. That's why we provide this FREE book; Iowa Workers' Compensation - An Insider's Guide to Work Injuries: 7 Deadly Mistakes To Avoid If You Are Hurt At Work. To learn more about what our legal team will do to help you protect your Iowa work injury claim, contact Walker, Billingsley & Bair to schedule a no-cost consultation - 1-888-792-3595.