Company Drops Appeal in Case Over Fatal 2016 Trench Collapse
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A construction company has dropped its appeal of a report finding negligence in a fatal trench collapse in Boise that killed two workers. The Idaho Statesman reported Thursday that the fatal collapse in 2016 also injured a third employee of Hard Rock Construction. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that the company's hands-off approach to worker safety and rush to finish the job contributed to the deadly incident. The government agency had proposed fining the construction company about $77,000 for failing to protect its employees, but the company appealed. Hard Rock later dropped its appeal in March. The company's lawyer did not respond to a message from the Boise paper seeking comment this week. It's unknown whether the U.S. Attorney's Office will pursue criminal charges over the incident.