Two Workers Dead After Trench Collapse on Long Island

A pair of workers were killed in an accident on Long Island when a trench collapsed during construction of a septic tank.

According to Nassau County Police, the accident occurred at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, January 28 in Brookville at a home on West hollow Road. The workers were in the process of digging out a hole for the septic tank when the walls caved in. The man fell 30 feet down into the hole and were almost immediately covered by seven feet of dense, wet dirt and sand.

A 45-year-old victim was able to be pulled from the trench, but was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. A 57-year-old victim was covered by the dirt and his body was not immediately able to be recovered. Recovery operations were continuing to work the following day.

Construction accident liability

Liability for construction accidents varies based on the circumstances of the accident. The construction company itself could be liable for a failure to properly plan a safe construction process, or to outfit the workers with the proper safety tools and equipment. The manufacturers of equipment used during the construction process could be liable if the equipment they made was malfunctioning or defective, causing the accident to occur. Workers themselves could have been liable for the accident, or it could be nobody bears any liability, in which case the best means of proceeding for them or their families would be to file a worker’s compensation claim rather than a lawsuit.

Whatever the circumstances, if you or a loved one have been injured in a construction accident, it is important you contact a personal injury lawyer at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP to learn more about the best way of getting compensation for your damages.