The Alabama Supreme Court has overturned a $3 million verdict against a former manufacturing executive, William Durall, who was accused of removing a safety gate from a machine that led to a worker’s death. The court found no evidence to support the claim and declined to broaden the definition of “remove” to include instructing workers to bypass safety devices.
The case stemmed from a 2017 incident where Catalina Estillado was fatally pulled into a machine at ABC Polymer’s factory. Her spouse sued Durall and another executive, Dean Leader, for wrongful death. A lower court awarded $3 million in damages, but Durall appealed.
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The Supreme Court’s decision hinged on the lack of evidence linking Durall to the removal of the safety gate or any knowledge of its absence. While acknowledging that managers can be held liable for removing or failing to install safety devices, the court emphasized the need for concrete evidence.
The court also rejected the plaintiff’s argument to expand the definition of “bypassing” a safety device to include giving unsafe instructions, deeming it irrelevant in this case since Durall had left the company before Estillado was hired.
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This ruling underscores the importance of clear evidence in assigning liability for workplace accidents and clarifies the legal boundaries surrounding safety measures and managerial responsibility.
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