Tyson Foods Coronavirus Lawsuit Lawyer
The O’Hara Law Firm filed a lawsuit in Texas against Tyson Foods for the death of an employee from Coronavirus. The O’Hara Law Firm represents families of deceased workers from different meatpacking plants around Texas. The spread of Coronavirus in meat and poultry processing plants has been rampant across the country. The meatpackers often work shoulder to shoulder in dangerous conditions.
Outbreaks of COVID-19 have been reported in meatpacking plants owned by Tyson Foods, Inc., JBS USA, and Pilgrim’s Pride. In some plants, the managers were not honest about why some employees failed to return to work. Coworkers were given false explanations for why some workers who had Coronavirus did not return to work. These frontline workers placed their health at risk in order to provide products to fellow Americans. They deserve all possible safety measures to protect them from infection. No company should put profits over the safety of its employees, especially during a pandemic.
If you or someone you love was hospitalized as a result of the Coronavirus while working at a meat processing plant, call our Coronavirus Lawsuit Attorney today at (832) 956-1138 for a free consultation.
Why are meat and poultry processing workers at risk for Coronavirus?
The Center for Disease Control and OSHA has provided guidance for meat processing plants. They determined that meat and poultry processing workers have an increased risk for COVID-19 because of their working conditions. They are at an increased risk because of the following factors:
- Distance between workers – The workers often work close to one another on the processing lines. They also may be in close contact when in the locker rooms, checking in or checking out.
- Duration of Contact – The meat processing workers are often close to each other for an extended period of time (8-12 hour shifts).
- Type of Contact – The workers may be exposed through respiratory droplets in the air from coughing or sneezing or contaminated surfaces.
Several recommendations were made to decrease the risk of infection for workers. They include the following:
- Distance of 6 feet – The government recommended changes in processing lines to keep workers at least six feet apart in all directions.
- Adequate ventilation – Increasing ventilation reduces the risk of infection.
- Physical barriers – Strip curtains, plexiglass, and other materials can be used to create barriers between employees to reduce the risk of infection.
- Handwashing – Multiple handwashing stations should be placed in different locations to encourage good hygiene.
- Screen workers – Workers should be screened for COVID-19 symptoms such as elevated temperatures.
- Provide PPE – The employer should provide masks to the workers such as N95 masks.
COVID-19 Outbreaks at Meat & Poultry Processing Plants
A Tyson processing plant in Center, Texas announced a closure as a result of infections. Shelby County where the plant is located had an infection rate that was four times higher than the state average. A local doctor reported that over half of Shelby County’s cases were linked to the processing plant.
Over four hundred workers at the Tyson Foods plant in Amarillo, Texas tested positive for COVID-19. A lawsuit was filed for one of the workers who died from an infection at the plant.
A judge reported in Titus County, Texas that many of the infections were related to industrial sites such as the Pilgrim’s Pride chicken processing plant in Mount Pleasant, Texas.
COVID-19 Lawyer
The O’Hara Law Firm represents the families of several deceased individuals who died from exposure to the Coronavirus at meat and poultry processing plants. The O’Hara Law Firm has experience representing workers who were injured as a result of exposure to dangerous substances at work. If you were hospitalized or have a family member that passed away from COVID-19 illness, contact the O’Hara Law Firm for a free consultation. Call (832) 956-1138 today.