Callahan & Blaine

An unidentified man in his 30’s died Saturday, Dec. 19, after the soil around a swimming pool being constructed in Orange collapsed on him twice.

The victim of the fatal workplace accident was in the pool hole he was working on when the soil from the top slid down on top of him.

The City of Orange firefighters responded to the scene, at the 6200 block of Cliffway Drive, just after 10:40 a.m. When they arrived they found that the man was buried shoulder deep at the bottom of a nine to ten foot hole in the ground. The firefighters began trying to do what is referred to as a trench rescue.

After the firefighters had been working on the rescue effort for about half an hour another collapse completely buried the victim and they were no longer able to communicate with him.

Sadly, the O.C. Coroner was then contacted and the incident was reported to Cal/OSHA. As this was a construction site, Cal/OSHA will conduct a formal investigation.

Cal/OSHA has a standard regarding Excavations. The regulation dictates how workers in excavations must be protected. What has happened in similar incidents is the dirt removed from the excavation is placed too close to the excavation, creating the hazard that it might fall back in.

If the victim’s employer did not properly assess the job site, protect the workers, and train them they could be looking at very serious violations.

Accidents like these often leave victims with the right to pursue a claim. As one of the leading catastrophic personal injury law firms in California, Callahan & Blaine has obtained numerous record-breaking verdicts and settlements in cases like this, helping bring some small justice to the aggrieved family. If you or someone you know has suffered a catastrophic injury or died as the result of an accident, contact the best personal injury attorneys in Orange County for expert legal counsel. Contact Callahan & Blaine if you believe you have a right to seek justice at (888) 894-1703.