Preventable Tragedy? Douglas Garland Sides, Madison Carter, William Evans, Matthew Lockwood Work Accident.
We have over 25 years of experience representing victims of work accidents and safety failures across the United States, and we have recovered nearly $250 million dollars for our Clients. Read Our Legal Take below to find out what legal options are available to the families of Douglas Garland Sides, Madison Carter, William Evans, and Matthew Lockwood.

Douglas Garland Sides, Madison Carter, William Evans, Matthew Lockwood Tragically Lost in Motor Vehicle Accident While Working on Power Lines. (Stock Photo: MurrayLegal.com)
Eden, NC News – Four men tragically lost their lives after a work related incident Thursday afternoon, April 24, 2025.
WXII12.com is reporting, “[t]he North Carolina Highway Patrol said four people were killed, three victims were injured, and the driver who hit them was also injured in the crash Thursday afternoon in the area of Church Street in Eden.
According to the report, “[i]nvestigators said [a dump truck] ran a stop sign, hit six men working for Carolina Power and Signalization who were conducting powerline work in the area. Four men died at the scene, including three Carolina Power employees and the contract inspector.” The dump truck “also hit a bucket truck before colliding with a ditch. One person in the bucket of the truck was injured. He was taken to a hospital for minor injuries.”
NewsObserver.com is reporting, “[h]ighway patrol said four of the six pedestrians died at the scene in Eden, near the Virginia border and a roughly 35-mile drive north from Greensboro. The men were identified as: “Madison Carter, 42, of Sandy Ridge…William Evans, 35, of Randleman…Matthew Lockwood, 30, of Winston-Salem…[and] Douglas Garland Sides, 72, of Summerfield.” The two surviving pedestrians reportedly suffered “serious life-threatening injuries.” One was flown to a hospital in critical condition, while the other was listed as ‘stable.'”
The incident remains under investigation.
Potential Legal Claims for the Families of Douglas Garland Sides, Madison Carter, William Evans, and Matthew Lockwood?
OUR LEGAL TAKE

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Employees and vendors have a right to safety and security while on the premises of a work site. The safety measures provided at the site or the malfunction of equipment may be at issue in this matter, and may be important in evaluating whether this tragic incident may have been prevented.
List of factual and legal inquires:
- What safety rules were in place to prevent this type of accident?
- Did any such safety features fail?
- Was the tragedy a result of a catastrophic equipment malfunction?
- What was the condition of any machinery/equipment involved?
- Was the company or property owner aware of the potential safety risks to employees?
- If equipment or machinery were involved in the incident, were any attempts made to service, recall or replace any such machinery or equipment prior to the incident?
Under workers’ compensation laws, our legal team suggests that the families of Douglas Garland Side, Madison Carter, William Evans, Matthew Lockwood will most likely be entitled to significant compensation as a result of this accident. While they should be eligible for benefits under workers compensation laws, they may also hold a substantial third-party negligence claim against the at-fault driver. Based on its history and experience in representing families in workers compensation and motor vehicle claims, The Murray Law Firm suggests that the families of Douglas Garland Side, Madison Carter, William Evans, Matthew Lockwood should retain legal counsel without delay so as to ensure that all evidence connected to the incident is preserved.
Successful Legal Outcomes in Similar Cases.
OUR RESULTS: NEARLY $250 MILLION IN VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS FOR OUR CLIENTS
The Murray Law Firm has recovered millions of dollars for individuals who have been hurt, or families whose loved ones have been lost, in a work accident or as a consequence of an unsafe property. We have obtained nearly $250 Million in verdicts and settlements for our Clients, including a $29.25 million dollar verdict for the family of a worker who lost his life at a work site. We offer our legal assistance, if desired.
We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us via e-mail (click here) or by telephone at 888.842.1616. Consultations are free and confidential.

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DISCLAIMERS: The information contained in this post is from secondary sources and may therefore contain inaccuracies. We will gladly correct or remove this post upon request. The material contained in this post is not intended to constitute legal advice. As each Client is unique, please contact us for a free consultation on your particular case. “Contingent attorneys’ fees” refers only to those fees charged by attorneys for their legal services. Such fees are not permitted in all types of cases. Court costs and other additional expenses of legal action usually must be paid by the client.