Feb 18, 2014

Injury in Chicken Processing Plant

Tyson Foods in Carthage was the scene recently of a terrible accident, and a former worker has now filed suit against the chicken processing corporation.

According to a story in the Southeast Texas Record, Tyson sued after woman dragged down assembly line by hair weave, on June 25, 2012 Tyson employee Josephine Stoker was injured after a supervisor ordered her to switch jobs. Her job was to pull the livers out of chicken carcasses on an assembly line.

According to the article, Stokes was “…told to assist another worker in unpacking frozen poultry and place it on metal shackles that hung overhead used to move the chicken’s body through the plant for processing.”

She wasn’t given any training on that job. She wasn’t show how to operate the equipment, according to the suit.

“She says she was struck in the head by a shackle, and the hook on the shackle caught the hairpiece she was wearing and dragged her down the line by the head and neck.” She called out for help as she was lifted off her feet and dragged. She passed out. Eventually, the equipment was stopped and she was sent to the hospital.

As a result, she was diagnosed with head trauma, contusion, and a concussion.

Also, Stoker was treated for spine injuries in 2012 and 2013 as a result of the accident. She had a diskectomy in October 2013.

Stoker’s lawsuit alleges that Tyson was negligent,

“…for failing to provide a safe place to work, failing to properly train plaintiff how to perform the jobs she is assigned, failing to warn of any hazards or risks associated with the job, failing to train other workers how to shut off the plant’s machinery in the event of an emergency and failing to insure that all equipment was safe for use and fitted with all necessary guards and protections.”
If you or someone you know thinks they have suffered an injury while on the job, Nate Hansford can help. Contact Nate by phone at 770-922-3660.