Lawsuit Filed by Mississippi Mother After Son's Tragic Workplace Death

Legal Action Against Mar-Jac Poultry Following Tragic Workplace Accident

A Mississippi mother, Edilma Perez Ramirez, has taken legal action against a poultry factory following the death of her 16-year-old son, Duvan Perez, in a workplace accident. The lawsuit, filed at the Forest County Circuit Court, accuses Mar-Jac Poultry and its affiliates of failing to adhere to safety standards, ultimately resulting in the teenager's untimely death.

History of Disregarding Worker Safety

The legal action follows a report by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in January, which identified multiple safety violations related to Duvan Perez's tragic passing at the Mississippi poultry factory.

The lawsuit alleges that Mar-Jac Poultry has a history of disregarding worker safety and highlights previous incidents, including the deaths of other employees. It specifically mentions the deaths of 33-year-old Joel Velasco Toto and 48-year-old Bobby Butler in less than three years at the Hattiesburg, Mississippi, plant owned by Mar-Jac.

Circumstances of the Tragic Incidents

The lawsuit also refers to the circumstances of their deaths, citing a previous incident in 2020 involving an air-compression hose and another in 2021 where an employee became entangled in a machine during cleaning.

According to the lawsuit, Duvan Perez, who immigrated to Mississippi from Guatemala, was performing a deep clean of a machine in the plant’s deboning area when the accident occurred. The lawsuit asserts that Mar-Jac allowed Duvan to clean the equipment despite his age and inadequate training.

Involvement of Other Companies and Federal Investigators' Findings

In addition to Mar-Jac Poultry, the lawsuit also targets Onin Staffing, an Alabama-based company that operates in Mississippi, for assigning Duvan to work at the plant despite being aware that he was a minor. Federal investigators found that plant managers should have ensured that workers disconnected the machine’s power and followed steps to prevent the machine from unintentionally starting up again during the cleaning.

Call for Improved Working Conditions and Accountability

Following the tragic accident, Labor Department officials emphasized the vulnerability of children in the U.S. workplace and called for improved working conditions. The lawsuit also urges Mar-Jac's customers, including Chick-fil-A, to insist on improved working conditions or cease doing business with the company.

Emphasizing the Need for Accountability

The tragedy has left Edilma Perez Ramirez devastated, as her son, Duvan, was described as hardworking and devoted to his family. The lawsuit contends that Duvan's death could have been easily prevented, highlighting the need for accountability and improved safety measures in the workplace.