Authorities in Minnesota are investigating a fatal workplace accident at the Supervalu Distribution Center in Hopkins on Sept. 21. The victim, a 51-year-old Minneapolis man, died from the injuries he suffered when he became trapped using the company’s equipment.
According to the report, around 2:30 p.m. someone called the police in connection with the injured worker; however, when law enforcement officials responded to the incident at 101 Jefferson Avenue South, the employee was deceased. Reportedly, the company temporarily stopped all of its operations during the day of the incident.
Presently, 38,000 people throughout the country are employed with the Supervalu Distribution Center. The company also owns and manages 58 Cub Foods stores within the state. According to the police, the workplace accident is a rare occurrence; for in the past 20 years, there have only been about one or two incidents at the company requiring police intervention.
The media release did not indicate what caused the accident or the type of equipment the worker was using when he died. Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were working with the company in investigating the workplace accident, as reported.
In a fatal workplace accident, family members of a deceased worker may wish to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the employer if they suspect an employer’s gross negligence was a major factor in the incident. This action is an alternative to receiving payouts from a workers’ compensation claim that may be insufficient to cover all the family’s losses resulting from their loved one’s death. Unsafe working conditions due to poorly maintained equipment, a lack of safety gear or inadequate training may constitute grounds for the claim whereof the employer could possibly be held liable for damages. Many people in similar situations often retain the services of a workers’ compensation lawyer to assist them through the suit.
Source: myFOX9.com, “Man dies after pinned by equipment at Supervalu Distribution Center”, Iris Perez, September 21, 2014
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