Robinson v. Poured Walls of Iowa, Inc.

NEUMAN, Justice.

Plaintiff Paul Robinson was injured while performing excavation work to repair a clogged sewer pipe. The pipe had been installed by defendant Poured Walls of Iowa, Inc., when it performed foundation work on a new home for Bob Wetherell. When the sewer line malfunctioned, Wetherell called Poured Walls to fix the problem. Poured Walls hired Jack Spaw, an independent contractor specializing in excavations, to perform the work. Plaintiff Robinson worked for Spaw.

The repair involved excavating approximately eight to ten feet down to the sewer line, breaking the pipe, and flushing…