January 25, 2012
An Evansville, Indiana, manufacturing company has been fined by Indiana’s Department of Labor in connection with the death of a worker in August of 2010. According to reports from Channel 13 News, the company responsible for the death, Bootz Industries, was fined $2,000 by the department for their part in causing the accident.
Records show that the 49-year-old worker was killed when a forklift he was driving hit a sidewalk and flipped over on top of him. It was determined that the worker was not wearing a seat belt and may not have been safe to operate because of leaking fluid lines. These findings prompted the Indiana Department of Labor to investigate, who mandated a $3,500 fine to the company. The fine was later reduced to $2,000 after the company agreed to take the forklift out of service and retrain drivers on forklift safety and use in the next 30 days.
No civil action has been taken against the company in connection with the death of the worker, but the statute of limitations on wrongful death cases is two years.
While the family may still have several months to file a wrongful death case against the company and others responsible for the accident, the Indiana wrongful death lawyers with Stewart and Stewart Injury Lawyers recommend filing a claim as soon as possible after the accident.