Industrial Accident Lawsuit Filed following Belvidere, Illinois, Factory Worker’s Death

March 2, 2015 This morning a lawsuit was filed in Rockford by the family of a 21-year-old man who was killed as a result of an industrial accident that occurred on June 10, 2014, at the Ventra Belvidere, LLC, plant. The victim, a graduate of Harlem High School class of 2010, was employed by Ventra of Belvidere. According to the lawsuit, the man had paused a Kimastle Corporation “MK74 Front Station” machine to realign vehicle parts when the machine suddenly and without warning restarted, trapping him in the machine. He was exposed to massive crushing and ultimately fatal injuries. He died on June 11, 2014. The lawsuit faults Kimastle Corporation for improperly designing and installing the machine without adequate safety devices to prevent it from operating when workers must realign vehicle parts. One of the allegations is the machine incorporated an improperly mounted light-curtain and had been programmed to allow safety devices to be overridden. The plaintiff’s family is represented by David E. Rapoport and Matthew S. Sims of Rapoport Weisberg & Sims P.C. in Chicago. According to Mr. Rapoport, who has represented injured workers and their families for over 30 years: “The time has come for those who make and install machinery in our factories to use proper care to end tragedies. Too many workers have lost limbs and worse due to careless manufacturers, and it would not have cost Kimastle much to install this machine the right way instead of the wrong way. This was a fairly new machine and with today’s technology it is not difficult to provide workers with real safety.” Mr. Sims added, “What happened in this case could have happened to anyone; he was just doing his job.” Further information about this lawsuit can be found in the following newspaper articles: http://www.rrstar.com/article/20150302/News/150309892 http://www.mystateline.com/fulltext-news/d/story/lawsuit-filed-in-belvidere-workers-death/29670/Uknf9Ab0vkWj-rCyK8Pwgg Contact attorney David Rapoport for further information at 312-445-9160.