Abstract: At approximately 8:39 a.m. on November 30, 1999, Employee #1, of United Rentals, was delivering a Ditch Witch walk-behind trencher (Model Number 1230, Serial Number 1R261) in the parking lot of Whittier Hospital. Another employee was helping him. They had the trencher on the lift gate that was 6 feet by 3.25 feet. Employee #1 lowered the lift gate to the ground. He stated that the front wheels of the trencher were on the ground and the rear wheels were on the lip of the lift gate. Employee #1 was holding the trencher from the handle with both hands. The trencher moved and Employee #1's left middle finger got caught between the handle of the trencher and edge of the truck bed, resulting in the amputation of his left middle finger. Employee #1 was hospitalized for his injury.