Reporter Lizz Giordano talks about the legal handling of Harold Felton’s death – and why his family thinks more could have been done.
In 2016, Harold Felton was working in a trench in West Seattle when it suddenly collapsed, killing him.
Seattle police declared his death an accident and handed the case to Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), which enforces safety standards and investigates workplace fatalities.
King County prosecutors eventually charged Felton’s employer, Phillip Numrich, with felony manslaughter, setting a precedent for holding workplaces accountable.
Crosscut investigative reporter Lizz Giordano spoke with host Maleeha Syed about this precedent and why – in spite of how Felton’s death was handled – his family ultimately believes L&I failed him.
Read more about the aftermath of Harold Felton's death here.
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Credits
Host/Producer: Maleeha Syed and Sara Bernard
Reporter: Lizz Giordano
Story editor: Ryan Famuliner
Executive producer: Sarah Menzies
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