The two companies were cited in the death of a worker in an accident that happened at International Paper, Franklin, V.A., in October, 2012. The victim, a 38 year-old man from Fayetteville, N.C., was an employee of PPM, a company contracted by ST Tissue to perform work at the paper mill.
According to official reports, the victim was unbolting a support beam on top of a paper dryer machine when he was struck by an overhead gantry crane. He then became caught between the crane and a column he was working near. Rescue workers took the victim to Southampton Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Department of Labor’s investigation revealed that the CR Meyer & Sons employee who operated the crane was not trained to run the equipment and “did not have a direct line of sight of the area where the crane trolley was moving.”
Both companies are contesting the citations and the cases are still open.
The victim in this tragic accident left behind five young children. Nothing will ever make up for the loss of a loved one, but the victim’s family should consult with a Virginia wrongful death attorney, especially given the citations issued by the state against the two companies involved.
Our firm published a guide on the wrongful death claims process in Virginia. Read it here. And FAQ’s about the wrongful death claims process can also be found here.
International Paper, Franklin, V.A.