Cargill Work Accident Lawyers

FIGHTING FOR INJURED CARGILL EMPLOYEES 

Cargill, Inc. is an American food corporation located in Minnesota with facilities throughout the United States and across the globe. This privately held multi-billion dollar company, first established in 1865, is the largest in the US based on revenue.

Cargill processes egg and meat products for food manufacturers, service providers, and retailers. Cargill is also a leader in mining and producing salt products for farming, food production, de-icing, and water softening. In addition to having significant United States operations, including in Lansing, New York – Wyalusing, Pennsylvania – and Camp Hill, Pennsylvania – Cargill has operations in the UK, Southeast Asia, China, Central America, and Canada.  

Cargill employs more than 166,000 people worldwide, and although the company is highly respected, it has experienced its fair share of workplace accidents. From mining accidents to incidents at its meatpacking facilities, the news is full of stories recounting how Cargill employees were injured on the job.

If you or someone you love was injured while working at one of this multi-billion dollar company’s facilities, a workplace accident lawyer could help. Read on for more information about Cargill accidents and how you can protect your rights after you’ve been injured working for Cargill.

What is Cargill, Inc?

Cargill Inc is a multi-billion dollar corporation that produces:

• Sweeteners;
• Turkey;
• Salt;
• Plant-based proteins;
• Pizza toppings;
• Oils;
• Eggs;
• Deli meats;
• Chocolate;
• Cocoa and;
• Burgers.

The company boasts more than 30 processing facilities across the US and three salt mines. Unfortunately, not only have these Cargill facilities been the site of numerous workplace accidents causing injury but there have been other workplace accidents in facilities that contract with Cargill.

The following are some workplace accidents related to Cargill’s multi-billion dollar operations:

Pennsylvania Man Buried Alive Under Cargill’s Rock Salt

A man who worked for John Halliday Trucking Inc. was killed when a pile of rock salt collapsed and buried him alive at JVA De-Icing Inc. in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. The company was stockpiling salt manufactured by Cargill.

The man, a dump truck driver, was standing between two trucks waiting for a load of rock salt when the 40-foot-high pile gave way unexpectedly, sending a rock salt wave into the trucks, which caused a chain reaction of the trucks being pushed together.

The man was buried and crushed under tons of rock salt.

After the accident, the man’s family hired Cargill accident lawyers to file a wrongful death lawsuit against JVA De-Icing and Cargill.

Cargill Employees Trapped in Cargill Mine Elevator

In 2016, 17 employees at the Cargill salt mine in Lansing, New York, had to be rescued from an elevator after being stuck 900 feet underground for more than nine hours.

Late one night, the elevator malfunctioned as workers descended to the mine’s 2,300-foot-deep floor to begin their shift. Although no employees were injured in the incident, the Cargill mine accident could have been much worse, as evidenced by a deadly Cargill salt mine accident that later occurred at the company’s Avery, Louisiana salt mine.

In that incident, two miners died following a roof collapse in December 2020 at that facility.

Although the company said the mine collapse was unrelated, the US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) cited the company just weeks before the collapse for hazardous ground conditions.

Safety of Cargill Salt Mine in New York Questioned

A recent investigative report published on the Water Front Online blog alleges that safety concerns are mounting at the Lansing salt mine facility. The report asserts that the company continues to mine salt under sections of Cayuga Lake, where thinning bedrock heightens the risk of a catastrophic flood or mine collapse.

The New York State DEC recently amended Cargill’s permit to expand mining operations on vast land covering about 3,000 leased acres of state-owned property, 2,300 feet beneath the lake’s surface. Although, as part of the permit, the company has committed to avoiding mining activities around specific areas of rock weakness, environmental advocates say the Cargill and the DEC are not forthcoming about the documents related to those commitments. As a result, some environmental advocacy groups filed lawsuits against Cargill and the state.

Those lawsuits were ultimately dismissed, and Cargill was allowed to move forward with its mining expansion. However, advocates say that the current situation at the Cargill mining facility in Lansing is not just an environmental issue but also a safety issue for employees who work there. Unfortunately, Cargill’s salt mines aren’t the only Cargill facilities that are hazardous to employees. The company’s meatpacking plants and food processing facilities have also experienced their fair share of workplace accidents.

Cargill Employees Suffer Burns After Beef Processing Plant Explosion

In 2019, two Cargill workers from the company’s Dodge City, Kansas, beef processing plant had to be airlifted to the hospital following injuries in an explosion at the facility. The blast occurred in the early morning of October 17, 2019, in a small building on the facility’s campus, leading to severe burn injuries.

Although the company employs approximately 2,700 workers, processing 6,000 heads of cattle daily, reports stated that the injured workers were the only on-site employees during the explosion.

In May 2011, the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) fined Cargill over $176,000 for severe violations exposing workers at the Dodge City plant to various occupational hazards.

Violations included machinery anchorage issues, fall protection violations, access and egress issues, material storage problems, personal protective equipment violations, machine guarding safety issues, electrical deficiencies, and more.

A worker at Excel Specialty Products, a subsidiary of Cargill Inc, in southeastern Nebraska, died in 2010 after a fall at the meat-processing facility. According to reports, the accident victim was fixing a cooler when the hydraulic lift he used toppled over.

Workers are at Risk of Injury at New York and Pennsylvania Cargill Facilities

Whether it is Cargill’s New York salt mine or Cargill’s meat processing facilities in Pennsylvania, Cargill workers are at risk of serious injury.

OSHA states that workers in meat processing facilities are three times more likely to be injured than workers in other industries.

Although salt mining is considered one of the safest mining operations, salt mine workers still face a serious risk of injury, with mining collapses being the most common accident in the industry.

How a Cargill Accident Lawyer Can Help

Cargill accident lawyers can help anyone injured in an accident at a Cargill mine, food processing facility, or subsidiary facility.

The tri-state area work accident lawyers at Richard Hollowell and Associates, LLC have won workplace accident lawsuits for countless clients throughout many industries. We will fight for compensation to cover your medical bills, physical therapy, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. In addition, if you’ve lost a loved one in a workplace accident, we can help you file a wrongful death lawsuit. Contact us today by calling 1-800-681-3550 or filling out our online form for a free consultation.