How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 106 severe cases involving trench collapses over the last decade. Fractures are the most common injury, accounting for 57 percent of all reported incidents, often resulting from the immense weight of shifting soil.
The sudden nature of a cave-in leaves you little time to react, leading to severe internal injuries that require extensive medical intervention and long-term rehabilitation.
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Free Benefits ReviewCommon injuries
Trench collapses occur when the walls of an excavation fail, typically because your employer failed to install required shoring, shielding, or sloping systems. You are often injured while performing manual tasks like pipe installation or foundation sealing when the surrounding soil unexpectedly gives way. These incidents are rarely accidents and usually stem from a failure to inspect soil stability or provide a safe means of egress from the trench.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fractures | 58 |
| 2 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 14 |
| 3 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 7 |
| 4 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 5 |
| 5 | Bruises, contusions | 4 |
| 6 | Dislocations | 3 |
| 7 | Intracranial Injuries | 3 |
| 8 | Surface and flesh wounds— unspecified | 2 |
Where injuries happen most
Construction accounts for 87 percent of all reported trench collapse incidents. This concentration exists because the industry frequently requires deep excavations for utilities and foundations, where the pressure to meet tight deadlines often leads to the dangerous practice of entering unprotected trenches.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include you being struck by collapsing walls while installing storm drains, becoming trapped while cleaning out foundation holes, or suffering injuries during emergency rescue attempts. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident to determine if employer negligence contributed to your injury.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | GA | Construction | "On July 30, 2025, at approximately 8:30 AM, an employee was installing a storm drain pipe in a trench that was approximately 14 feet deep. While working near the edge of the trench, the employee exited the trench box. A section of the trench wall collapsed, striking the employee and causing him to fall into an adjacent manhole box within the trench. The employee sustained a dislocated shoulder and a fractured femur." | |
| 2025 | NE | Construction | "Employees were working to apply sealant to a customer's leaking foundation. The injured employee was digging out dirt and passing it to another worker. The hole that was being dug collapsed and the injured employee became trapped in dirt/mud from the waist down. The employee sustained a fractured pelvis." | |
| 2025 | CO | Construction | "An employee was digging out and cleaning a 10-foot deep trench he'd just finished excavating. He climbed into the trench to conduct a sewer line repair and the trench collapsed on top of him. As a result of the cave-in, another employee jumped into the trench to save him, causing further injury. The employee was severely bruised and was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | ME | Construction | "An employee was climbing a ladder to get out of a trench when the trench collapsed. The employee's leg was trapped in soil and their ankle was fractured." | |
| 2025 | GA | Construction | "On May 1, 2025, an employee was cutting a pipe while working inside a trench that was 20' long x 3.5' deep x 4.5' wide. A shaft of dirt fell onto the employee's leg. The employee sustained an injury to their anterior tibial artery." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "Two employees were working in a 6- to 8-foot trench when it collapsed on them. One employee suffered broken ribs and broken lower-back vertebra; the other employee suffered a broken femur." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "An employee was working in a trench and exiting the trench using a ladder when the trench collapsed on him. He fell from the ladder and suffered a fractured left leg. " | |
| 2025 | AL | Construction | "On February 5, 2025, an employee was inside an excavation cleaning a suction pipe that was removing water from the area. Soil began to slide and struck the employee in the back, which caused the employee's chest to strike the pipe. The employee suffered a broken collarbone and was hospitalized." | |
| 2024 | FL | Construction | "An employee was working inside a trench when the trench caved in after it started raining. The employee became trapped in dirt and they sustained a right knee dislocation." | |
| 2024 | KS | Construction | "An employee was in a trench working on a water/sewer line connection when the dirt started to shift and engulfed the employee up to his waist. He was trapped for approximately 1 hour and sustained fractures to the pelvis." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.