Alabama Lumber Yard Accident Causes Death

A tragedy occurred in the very last moments of 2010 in Alabama.  On December 31 in the town of Vance, just outside Tuscaloosa, a 22-year-old lumber yard was struck and killed by a log that fell from a lumber processing machine at KyKenKee Inc.  The timber company is located on Highway 11 North in Vance, Alabama.  Preliminary reports indicate that a log fell from the de-barking machine, striking and killing the young lumber worker .

It is not yet known what caused the log to fall.  Was it a machine malfunction or defect, or was an employee on the job site negligent in following appropriate safety procedures?  OSHA is investigating the cause of this tragic accident to find out the answers.

Sadly, this accident is not be the first fatal Alabama lumber accident OSHA investigated in 2010.  At Phenix Lumber , one worker was killed when his head was crushed between a motor being hoisted with a forklift and other equipment, and another worker at that same facility was seriously injured after he fell 10 feet, breaking his neck, while doing daily maintenance on the debarker in the saw mill.

At this time, limited information has been made available to the public regarding the KyKenKee victim, the accident, and the relationship between the victim and KyKenKee Inc.

From our lumber accident lawyers‘ viewpoint, this case is both scary and depressing.  Accidents like these are easily preventable with regular machine maintenance, proper worker training and safe workplace procedures.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the young men injured and killed in 2010 in these dangerous Alabama lumber company accidents.