Iowa man sues former employer after trench collapse buries him alive

BONDURANT, Iowa (KCCI) - A Polk County man is suing his former employer, a central Iowa home-builder and several other subcontractors.

It’s after a 12-foot trench collapsed on top of him and buried him alive.

KCCI reports Trevor Kilgore was digging in the trench in June 2023 when the wall collapsed.

He described the moment to police, saying he turned around, and he was closed in.

The lawsuit names the President of Edwards Enterprises of Altoona, Kilgore’s employer at the time, as a defendant.

Body camera video, from the day of the collapse, captured the president of the company speaking to police, admitting to the dangers of the process.

Kilgore’s attorney argues that the trench was not dug to OSHA standards.

Saying the trench was only 10 foot wide at the top when it should have been 39 feet.

The President of Edwards Enterprises declined to comment about the lawsuit.