As reported in a local news story in late June, a Tucson woman suffered a moderately-serious personal injury when she fell into a trench at a construction location near Glenn Street and 1st Avenue. It’s unclear what the woman may have been doing at the site.
According to the Tucson Fire Department (TFD) report about this personal injury incident, the woman fell into the ten-foot-deep trench in late afternoon, at a time when visibility was good. It was later reported anecdotally that the victim said she looked at the ground ahead of her as she walked, but that she had not seen the trench at all.
Fortunately, TFD firefighters well-trained in ladder rescues in tight spaces were able to extricate the injured woman from the trench in less than ten minutes. These firefighters are due major credit for their rapid, professional response to this rescue in an unexpected tight space.
The victim of the fall was transported to a local hospital where she was later said to be in stable condition with considerable personal injury. She may have been lucky, since the bottom of the trench was said to be lined with soft dirt instead of hard rock.
A personal injury can happen at an unexpected time
The TFD report indicated that at the time of the accident the trench was well-marked with orange-and-white highway barricades, yellow hazard tape, and ample signage. And, the trench was especially large – several feet across and lined with metal reinforcement. It should have been very hard for a pedestrian to miss. Still, somehow this unfortunate accident occurred.
Although the injured woman’s reason for approaching the trench remains unclear, the result was unexpected and disastrous: An ill-chosen misstep led straight to the bottom of the pit. Hopefully, she will have the professional help needed for an optimal recovery.
The resources to ensure a quick recovery
Recovering from a personal injury takes time, and it also takes money. When someone is injured, the cause of the accident may not be clear immediately, and it may require time and expert resources to understand exactly what happened.
Meanwhile, injury victims may feel financial pressure to prematurely settle damage claims with insurance companies and responsible parties. Worst of all, if the injured person is hospitalized and later unable to work full-time at full pay, financial pressures may delay recovery.
If someone is injured because of a construction hazard like a trench, it’s important to quickly determine the cause of the personal injury, hold the appropriate parties accountable for their actions, and secure the financial compensation that may be needed for the injured person’s long-term rehabilitation and medical expenses.
The best Tucson personal injury attorneys
If you or a family member has suffered a personal injury on a construction site in the Tucson area, or if you’ve been hurt by someone’s negligence, you should seek help from an expert personal injury attorney like Bob Barber.
The Bob Barber Law firm is a long-time leader in helping people who have suffered personal injuries. We can expertly investigate the circumstances of the injury, protect your rights, and fight to win the financial compensation to which you are entitled.
Call the Bob Barber Law firm at 520-293-4440 or e-mail today.