A 39-year-old man was taken to the Jersey City Medical Center after being buried under approximately 1,500 pounds of pineapples while working at a Jersey City warehouse. The man was dug out by paramedics and firefighters in a span of five minutes and suffered minor injuries, although serious internal injuries were originally feared, according to a report by The NY Daily News.
According to statements from a fellow worker, the man was unloading 40-pound boxes of sliced pineapples from a shipping container when a stack of boxes collapsed onto him. The incident occurred in front of coworkers, as well as the victim’s wife who was visiting him at the worksite. One of the employees quickly called 911, which brought emergency workers to the scene in order to extricate the man from the pile of pineapples and boxes.
The man was buried under enough fruit to be hidden from view.
It is unknown what caused the collapse, but officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have inspected the worksite. In cases such as this, it may have been the fault of other workers including unsupervised or negligent contractors and subcontractors or the employer of the injured worker itself. Additionally, the manufacturers of the crates may be responsible, should their product be flawed and the cause of the accident.
At Blume Forte, our injured worker lawyers in New Jersey have helped numerous employees recover from their losses suffered in an on-the-job accident. To learn more about whether you may potentially have a meritorious claim, contact our office at 973-845-4421 and receive valuable insight gained from decades of experience at no cost to you.