Wrongful death lawsuit may be filed against animal seed processor

The premature death of a loved one is one of the most difficult things for a New Jersey family to face. A family has some very important rights when a loved one’s death is the result of another person’s actions. A wrongful death lawsuit is one way that grieving New Jersey families can hold parties responsible for the harm that they have caused. A wrongful death lawsuit is a type of legal action brought by the family of a deceased person against the entity or individual that contributed to that person’s death. In addition to holding responsible parties accountable for their actions, a wrongful death lawsuit can help provide for families deprived of their caregiver and help prevent emotional hardship from becoming a financial burden for a family as well.

One animal feed processing company may face a wrongful death lawsuit after one of its workers died a horrible death in a company silo. The worker became trapped in a cotton seed silo and was fatally engulfed by seeds. This worker’s death is sadly not uncommon according to a regional director for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

“Storage silo entry is very dangerous. It only takes a few seconds for a worker to sink into and be buried by stored feed or grain,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional director in New York. “In 2010, at least 26 American workers died under such conditions. Deaths like these can be prevented only if employers follow all required precautions before letting their workers enter a silo.”

We will discuss particular facts from this case in our next post.

Source: OSHA, “US Labor Department’s OSHA cites Utica, NY, animal feed processor following worker’s fatal engulfment in storage silo,” Nov. 15, 2011