NEW CASTLE, DE — One man was taken to the hospital after an accident with an excavator in New Castle, Delaware on Monday, April 6th, 2015. Local news said that the accident happened sometime Monday afternoon, but did not specify the exact hour of the accident.
A 53-year-old worker was hurt when the excavator he was working on flipped at Delaware Waste Managment on Pine Tree Road. Authorities said that the machine rolled while loading garbage onto trucks.
The worker was taken to Christiana Hospital where he was last reported in stable condition.
The investigation is ongoing at this time.
Scene of the Accident
View of the Road
Commentary:
Whenever I see a slow, heavy machine like an excavator tip and roll, I can’t help but wonder if there was some kind of problem with the equipment that caused the accident. These heavy machines are not exactly fast-movers, so whatever happened had to have gone seriously wrong for one to flip. Was there a defect with the machine itself? We all know that cars, strollers, cribs, and other consumer grade goods can come off the assembly lines with potentially fatal problems, and heavy machinery is no different. If the machine caused this accident, then the manufacturer could be liable for what happened, instead of the painful workers’ compensation process many would automatically assume this to be. Any time there is an avenue around workers’ compensation, my experience tells me to take it in order to benefit victims who are hurt on the job, because it usually benefits their employer much more than the person that was hurt trying to earn a living.
— Grossman Law Offices