Vevay, IN — A man was hospitalized after being injured when a trench he was working in collapsed on him in Vevay, Indiana, on Wednesday, April 1, 2015. The accident took place in the 300 block of Greeley Street, around 2:30 in the afternoon.
According to local reports, Dunning was working inside the trench when one of the sides buckled and dirt spilled on top of him, covering him from the chest down.
Emergency workers needed five hours before they were finally able to remove Dunning from the trench, which was 12 feet deep. Dunning suffered broken bones, as well as a punctured lung in the accident. After being removed from the trench, Dunning was taken to a local hospital, where’s he’s been listed in fair condition.
The accident is still being investigated.
Scene of the Accident
View from the Road
Commentary
This was an on-the-job accident, and in almost every case, an on-the-job accident is going to be handled through an employer’s workers’ comp policy. Now, many of the cases in which the accident isn’t handled through workers’ comp — or rather, not fully handled — are accidents which involve third parties or manufacturers. This is important because accidents that take place on construction sites often do. In most all cases, workers’ comp does not allow an employee to bring a claim against their employer. However, if a piece of equipment that was being used failed, and that led to the accident, or if a third party was also working on the job, and their actions led to the accident, then the victim would be able to file a claim against them. It often takes an investigation to see whether or not this was the case. In these instances, despite the victim’s ability to bring a claim against a third party, he still qualifies for workers’ comp benefits, provided by his employer, because the accident happened while the victim was on the job.
— Grossman Law Offices
