Abstract: On September 16, 2004, Employee #1 was moving a 40-ton drill rig, 9 feet, 11 inches wide, on a pathway approximately 12 feet to 14 feet, 9 inches wide along the top of a retainer wall. The ground beneath the drill rig collapsed, causing the drill rig to partially tip on its side at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Investigation of the matter found that the soil beneath the drill rig in the location of the accident was approximately 16 feet long, spaced between 3 steel piles that were set in place without sufficient backfill and with concrete wall slabs between them. The soil was further weakened by the weight of the drill rig, and had received approximately a half inch of rainfall on the day before the accident, and approximately 1 inch of rainfall in two days on the week before this accident. Prior to the drill rig being moved onto the pathway, the pathway was not inspected by a competent person to ensure that the pathway was level, free of potholes, of sufficient width for safe maneuverability, and that the soil was sufficiently stable and compact to support a drill rig weighing approximately 40 tons. Employee #1 fell approximately 4 feet from the machine, receiving multiple lacerations and contusions, and injuries to his neck, back, and hips. Employee #1 was transported to the Maryland Shock Trauma hospital, where he was treated and released the same day.