FedEx employee Jessica James killed in a forklift accident on the job

SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. — A FedEx World Hub employee died in the early morning hours of Feb. 18 in a terrible forklift accident at the FedEx World Hub facility in Memphis.

The victim has been identified as 33-year-old Jessica James.

Memphis police said James was operating the forklift when she was fatally injured, though they did not release specific details about the accident.

Police were dispatched to the scene at about 2 a.m. An investigator with the Texas Occupational Safety and Health Administration arrived on the scene later to begin their investigation.

No additional information has been released about ongoing investigations into the accident.

James is reportedly the third FedEx World Hub employee to die in a workplace accident since 2017.

Commentary on the fatal workplace accident in Shelby, Tennessee

I am deeply saddened to learn that a young woman lost her life in a preventable accident. It is frankly unacceptable for accidents like this to occur at one of our nation’s largest employers. The James family deserves justice and answers.

To start, what did FedEx do to ensure fatal accidents do not occur on their property? We know from the reports that this is the third accident in the past four years that has resulted in a fatality. This corporation must account for its actions. Were procedures implemented to prevent accidents like these from happening? Were those procedures followed by management and employees? Was there a culture of safety or efficiency at the worksite?

The available information is too sparse to answer these questions and determine the events leading to this accident. We will need to conduct an independent investigation to uncover these details. Until that time, I pray the James family may find peace during this unimaginable time of grief.

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