Most in this area have likely heard of the January 28, 2021 liquid nitrogen workplace accident at Prime Pak Foods owned by Foundation Food Groups right here in Gainesville.
Sadly, six innocent victims lost their lives: Jose DeJesus Elias-Cabrera, 45, of Gainesville, Corey Alan Murphy, 35, of Clermont, Nelly Perez-Rafael, 28, of Gainesville, Saulo Suarez-Bernal, 41, of Dawsonville, Victor Vellez , 38, of Gainesville, Edgar Vera-Garcia, 28, of Gainesville.
We at Lazenby Law Group pray for the victims and families of this event and certainly hope the safety violations issues and concerns arising in every industrial incident are misplaced here. With the multiple investigations underway, questions will soon be answered and the families of those killed and injured can either find closure or a path forward.
Thankfully, injurious workplace incidents are uncommon, but they often flow from serious safety violations that could have been remedied to save lives. From hazardous industrial incidents like this one to catastrophic tractor trailer collisions to construction failures, investigating safety violations leading to death and destruction, is something we are accustomed to undertaking. Our only hope in doing so is to help victims and their families find that aforementioned closure or the proper path forward. Often, we are able to help families reach a new normal, but it is our steadfast hope to see that justice is served by providing whatever comfort we can to help victims and their families adjust to a catastrophic loss while ensuring more victims will not suffer the same or a similar fate in the future.
Whether the Prime Pak incident could have and should have been prevented is not yet known. Most assuredly, workers compensation claims will be the focus of the initial remedies the victims of this event will have available. There are times when other avenues can be traveled toward justice beyond Workers’ Compensation claims if third parties outside of Foundation Food Group bear some responsibility for what occurred or if Foundation was egregiously careless in their safety protocols. Whether claims can be pursued for the loss of six lives and the host of injuries suffered remains to be seen, but such pursuit should not wait as evidence must be gathered quickly.
We work hard to treat your family as we would any member of our family. If we can help you or a loved one, we stand ready. Call 678-971-1166 or write shane@lazlawgroup.com.
