Missouri Trench Collapse Victim’s Family Awarded $6 Million

In 2008, 29-year-old Timothy Epperson was working for the city of Perry, MO fixing sewer lines with another city worker when the sides of the trench collapsed. His co-worker survived but Epperson was trapped under the debris and died later that night in an area hospital.

Epperson left behind three sons and a wife who would eventually file a suit against the town’s superintendent on behalf of her sons. Last week, Circuit Judge Robert Clayton II awarded the family $6 million, claiming “breached duty of care” towards Epperson on the part of the town. According to the Hannibal Courier-Post, the judge also claimed that proper safety precautions were not observed on the site of the accident and that the superintendent was aware of the dangers around the trench.

The United States Department of Labor estimated that in 2008, for every 100 workers in the field of civil engineering and construction, almost 12 experienced some sort of job-related injury. If you or someone you know has been injured on the job, contact the law firm of WWF&G at 1-800-WWFGLAW for a free consultation.