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Steve Kherkher - September 28, 2026
Four workers have died in trench collapses in California this year, including three deaths in less than two months. The incidents underscore the dangers workers can face when excavation sites are not properly evaluated, protected, and monitored.
For workers who enter trenches as part of their jobs, the ground beneath their feet can shift into a life-threatening hazard. A trench wall can collapse with little warning, burying a worker under hundreds or thousands of pounds of soil and making rescue extremely difficult.
That danger was highlighted again on September 18, 2026, when a construction worker died after becoming trapped in an 8-foot-deep trench near Hickman, California. This worker’s death is particularly significant because it represents the fourth trench-collapse death in California in 2026. The other three deaths occurred in two separate incidents earlier this year.
For workers and families, these incidents raise important questions about trench safety and workplace protections. Families may question who was responsible and how they can pursue justice after a serious excavation accident. The best way to begin to find answers is to contact a skilled work injury attorney. At Kherkher Garcia, our attorneys assist victims and families nationwide. When tragedy strikes at work, we can help you determine your rights and potential options for legal action.
The four worker fatalities occurred across three separate incidents between May and September.
On May 19, a 54-year-old man died after a trench wall collapsed at a construction site in Long Beach. According to reports, three workers were installing a power cable to the Lydia House shelter for women and children when the trench wall collapsed. Emergency crews extricated the workers, but one died after being buried under dirt and rubble. The other two workers were transported to trauma centers. Cal/OSHA investigated the incident.
On August 8, two workers died after a trench collapsed in Stockton. The men were reportedly doing underground drainage work for a future supermarket. Another worker had left the site the previous evening. When he returned the following morning, he discovered the collapsed trench and the men’s vehicles and cellphones. Responders spent hours working to recover the two workers. Cal/OSHA also investigated this incident.
On September 18, a 34-year-old worker became trapped while working in an 8-foot-deep trench near Hickman in Stanislaus County. Stanislaus Consolidated Fire District crews responded along with firefighters from Modesto and Turlock. The rescue operation ultimately became a recovery effort, with the man’s body recovered after more than four hours. Cal/OSHA took over the investigation.
His death was the fourth trench-related fatality in California in 2026 and the third in less than two months.
Trenching and excavation work involves several hazards at once. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identifies cave-ins as the primary hazard associated with trenching and excavation. Other risks can include falling materials and electrical or underground utility hazards. One reason a trench collapse is so dangerous is because of the sheer weight of the soil. OSHA notes that a cubic yard of soil can weigh more than 3,000 pounds. A worker buried by even a relatively small amount of soil can suffer crushing injuries or asphyxiation.
Under OSHA’s construction standards, workers should be protected from cave-ins through appropriate protective systems unless an applicable exception applies. Protective systems include sloping, benching, shoring, or shielding, such as a trench box.
Trench hazards are not limited to one type of construction project or job site. Workers may encounter excavation hazards while doing any of the following work:
The specific risks and safety requirements vary depending on the project, location, and conditions at the site.
Trench safety is not simply about the depth of an excavation. Soil conditions, weather, water, nearby structures, equipment, traffic, utilities, and changes at the worksite can all affect the stability of an excavation. OSHA guidance identifies several important protections for workers in these environments, such as:
Depending on work conditions, employers may need to use sloping, benching, shoring, shielding, or other protective systems. To determine the best course of action for safety, employers should assess factors including soil classification and site conditions.
OSHA requires inspections of excavations, adjacent areas, and protective systems by a competent person before work begins and as needed throughout the duration. Additional inspections are required after rain or other events that could add or increase hazards.
Workers need a safe way to enter and leave a trench. OSHA generally requires ladders, stairways, ramps, or another safe means of egress for trenches that are 4 feet or more deep. There should be a means of egress located within 25 lateral feet of workers.
Spoil piles, equipment, vehicles, and other materials placed too close to an excavation site or trench can add weight near the edge and potentially contribute to a collapse or fall. OSHA generally requires excavated materials and equipment to be kept at least two feet from the edge unless a retaining system is used.
A trench that appears otherwise stable can become more dangerous as conditions change. Rain, water accumulation, nearby equipment, changing soil conditions, or other work around the site can create new hazards. OSHA specifically calls for additional inspection when conditions change or after events such as rainstorms that could increase the risk.
When a worker is seriously injured or killed in an excavation accident, several different processes may follow. Local, state, and federal workplace safety agencies may investigate the incident to determine whether safety requirements were followed. An investigation may examine issues such as:
Importantly, an investigation does not automatically establish civil liability. Liability and the cause of a trench collapse will likely not be known until investigators have completed their work.
For injured workers and families who have lost loved ones, a workplace investigation may be only one part of understanding what happened.
The options available to injured workers and families vary depending on the circumstances of the incident and injuries. Workers injured in trench collapses may have rights under workers’ compensation, direct lawsuits, or potential claims involving third parties. Families who lose loved ones in workplace accidents may also have potential wrongful death claims.
The availability of a particular claim can depend on the state, the worker’s employment relationship, the circumstances of the incident, and other facts. Workers and families benefit from having their circumstances reviewed by a work injury attorney.
Trench collapses like the ones discussed here are a reminder that serious workplace accidents can happen in many industries, and in many parts of the country. At Kherkher Garcia, our attorneys represent injured workers and families nationwide. We have more than 30 years of experience helping victims and families after serious workplace accidents, construction accidents, industrial incidents, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death matters.
When a worker is seriously injured or a family loses someone in a workplace accident, we help investigate the circumstances and explain your legal options. Every case is different, and our team will stand beside your family as we uncover what happened, who may be responsible, and what options you have to pursue justice.
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a trench collapse, excavation accident, or other workplace incident Kherkher Garcia is here to help. Contact our team for a free consultation by calling . You can also request more information or a consultation by submitting our online contact form.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorneys Steve Kherkher and Jesus Garcia Jr., who have more than 50 years of combined legal experience championing the rights of those who have experienced catastrophic injury due to negligence.
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