Four Focus Items for Work Area Inspections Fatality File
The relatives of the Danbury man killed in an industrial accident at New Milford factory filed a wrongful death suit against the company.
Daniel Kendrick died June 7, after becoming entangled in a conveyor belt system at New Milford Block & Supply on Danbury Road.
The 29-year-old Florida native had worked at the concrete block and brick manufacturing company as a production operator for less than a year.
His sisters and the administrators of his estate, Leah Kendrick and Leslie Stieber, filed a lawsuit against New Milford Block & Supply and The Montfort Group in state Superior Court in Danbury — alleging that “carelessness and negligence” resulted in their brother’s death.
Kendrick died from blunt and compressive injuries to his head and torso after falling onto a conveyor belt at New Milford Block & Supply — a business owned by The Monfort Group, which also has locations in Fishkill and New Windsor, N.Y.
The lawsuit claims that New Milford Block & Supply and The Montfort Group had a duty to “exercise care to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition” and failed to do so.
Kendrick’s sisters are accusing the company of creating dangerous workplace conditions by failing to have adequate and/or appropriate safeguards, such as emergency stop devices, side rails and stair protection.
Upon notification of the workplace fatality, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched an investigation into possible workplace safety standard violations at New Milford Block & Supply.
The OSHA cited 21 serious, one repeat and three “other” violations in its inspection of the company — ranging from ladders, powered industrial trucks, stairways and training to fall protection systems, permit-required confined spaces, hazardous energy controls and machine requirements — and imposed nearly $150,000 in fines.
“The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees,” states one of the violations noted in the inspection.
New Milford Block & Supply was previously cited for several OSHA violations in 2018 and 2013, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Kendrick’s loved ones remembered him as a funny, caring and charismatic person
“He would have done anything for anyone,” said Shelby Pritchard, who met Kendrick five years ago through her son’s father and Kendrick’s cousin, Dwight Johnson.
“Daniel made friends with everyone,” she said. “He was a loving uncle, cousin, nephew, son, brother and friend. He was taken from us way to young.”
Kendrick’s sisters are seeking at least $15,000 in monetary damages and “such other and further relief as the court deems fair and equitable,” according to the lawsuit.