Death of Factory Worker Who Fell Into a Vat of Chocolate Results in Fines - Philadelphia Wrongful Death Lawyer Weighs In
As an experienced Pennsylvania catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death lawyer who has handled many death cases since 1979, I was astounded at the minimal fines imposed by federal safety officials against a Camden chocolate plant on January 11, 2010. Inspectors from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Morristown, New Jersey based Lyons and Sons Inc. and Cocoa Services LP for failing to install safety railings above tanks or post warning signs of potential hazards. Federal Safety Officials fined the Camden chocolate plant $39,000 for safety violations following the death of a factory worker who fell into a vat of chocolate last summer.
According to news sources on the morning of July 8th, Vincent Smith (a temporary worker who had started at the plant two weeks earlier) was loading raw cocoa onto a 8 foot melting and mixing tank when he fell into liquid chocolate and was struck on the head by a rotating panel. The plant was temporarily closed and the City of Camden fined them $1,152 when the inspectors discovered that the plant was operating without a mercantile license. Inspectors also noted multiple plumbing and electrical problems on the property.
In injury and death cases like this one, life is changed in an instant for the survivors of the deceased. In this experienced wrongful death attorney’s opinion, under the circumstances the fine appears to be de minimis. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Vincent Smith II now and at the time we first heard of this tragic accident and we hope that his legal interests are being represented by an aggressive and experienced wrongful death lawyer seeking proper compensation for the tragic loss of his life from these safety violations.
