Tragedy in a Trench: Who’s Liable for Construction Site Accidents in North County San Diego?

Construction sites are inherently dangerous, but when companies fail to follow long-established safety rules, those dangers become deadly. That’s exactly what happened to 27-year-old Joel Olea Gomez of San Marcos, who tragically lost his life in a preventable trench collapse at a Scripps Ranch job site in August.

Joel was working for W.A. Rasic Construction, a Long Beach-based company hired for a water-system project at Hoyt Park Drive and Scripps Ranch Boulevard. At around 3 a.m., he was inside a 17-foot-deep trench that lacked basic safety protections like shoring or trench boxes. Without those safeguards, the trench caved in, burying Joel under tons of earth and a large concrete pipe. A second worker in the trench managed to escape, but Joel died at the scene. His body was recovered only after emergency crews spent over four hours stabilizing the site to prevent additional collapses.

In the aftermath, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) investigated and fined the company $157,500. According to the citations, W.A. Rasic Construction failed on multiple fronts: they didn’t inspect the site properly, failed to train workers, and neglected to implement a required injury-and-illness prevention program that’s been mandated for over 30 years. Most critically, they failed to provide adequate cave-in protection—something Cal/OSHA deemed a “critical lapse.”

For families in North County San Diego, the loss of Joel Gomez is a stark reminder of the real-life consequences when safety is treated as optional. And while Cal/OSHA fines can bring attention to these failures, they don’t go far enough in helping the victims’ families or holding companies fully accountable.

So what can injured workers—or their families—do if they’re hurt in a construction site accident?

In California, injured workers are typically covered by workers’ compensation, which pays for medical bills and lost wages. But in cases like Joel’s—where a company clearly violated state safety regulations—a civil lawsuit for wrongful death or gross negligence may also be possible. These types of cases allow families to pursue compensation for funeral costs, loss of financial support, and the emotional toll of losing a loved one.

In North County San Diego, our law firm routinely handles serious construction accident cases just like this. We investigate whether a company cut corners, failed to train its crew, or ignored obvious hazards. We work with experts to reconstruct what happened and determine who should be held liable. And most importantly, we fight to make sure families like Joel’s aren’t left without answers or justice.

If you or a loved one has been injured—or worse—in a construction site accident in San Marcos, Carlsbad, Oceanside, or anywhere in North County, don’t wait. These cases are complex, and critical evidence can disappear quickly. Reach out today to learn how we can help.

No family should suffer a loss because a company chose profits over people. Let’s hold them accountable.