LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Penn. – Charles Babcock, a 47-year-old Scranton man, tragically died in a workplace accident Dec. 17 at a MIA Products facility in Moosic.
Babcock was pronounced dead after he suffered multiple traumatic injuries at the warehouse in an accident involving a freight elevator.
A subsidiary of J&J Snack Foods Corporation, MIA Products manufactures frozen treats.
A county investigation into Babcock’s death is underway. Authorities have not released any additional details about the accident.
Commentary on Charles Babcock fatal workplace accident
I was saddened to learn of the fatal workplace accident that cut Charles Babcock’s life short, most likely, by decades.
I have encountered many accidents similar to this one in my last 30 years as a personal injury, wrongful death, and product defect attorney. While authorities have yet to release many details about the accident that killed Babcock, the sparse information reported brings several questions to mind.
Was Mr. Babcock properly trained to perform the job description in which he was engaged in at the time of the accident? Were others involved, employees or non-employees? If so, what role did they play? Were they properly trained?
Was the freight elevator in proper working order? When was the freight elevator last serviced? Were there any outstanding service orders pending for the freight elevator? Have other accidents occurred using this same make and model of freight elevator? If so, what kind and how many?
Were there witnesses to this accident? If so, have they been interviewed? If they have been interviewed, how much time elapsed between the time of the accident and the time of the interviews?
If there were no witnesses, how was the victim found? Who found the victim and what role did that individual or individuals play at the manufacturing plant? Were they interviewed? How much time elapsed between the time the victim was found and the time of the interview?
A thorough investigation of the accident must be conducted in order to get answers to these questions and others to determine whether a duty of care was breached on the part of MIA Products, another individual at the plant, or by the manufacturer of the freight elevator?
I extend my sincere condolences to Mr. Babcock’s family, friends, and coworkers as they mourn the painful loss of his life.
Disclaimer: All information contained within this post was compiled from public sources or constitutes the opinion of the author. Please inform us immediately if you identify any false or misleading information.