Judge Dismisses Wrongful Death Suit Filed by Family of Employee, 19, Crushed to Death by Thousands of Lbs. of Lumber

need to know

• A Minnesota judge recently dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit over the 2021 death of 19-year-old James Lee Stanback

• The teenager was crushed to death by a pile of falling timber while operating a forklift at Menards in Golden Valley.

• The complaint, filed by his mother, alleged an unsafe working environment and alleged that lumber was stacked too high and that her son, a new employee, did not receive proper training or supervision.

A Minnesota judge has dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a man who said he was crushed to death at a home improvement store.

James Lee Stanback, 19, died in July 2021 while working at a Menards restaurant in Golden Valley, according to the lawsuit obtained by PEOPLE and filed in Hennepin County District Court in June 2024 by his mother, Meghan Klein.

Steinback was operating a forklift in the store’s lumber yard when a large pile of lumber fell on him, crushing him, the complaint states.

Steinback’s mother said her son could only work the job during the summer before heading off to college.

“His life was just beginning and he didn’t have a chance,” she said, according to CBS News, adding that her “life has been a blur” since losing her son.

The complaint alleges that the lumber that crushed Steinback was piled too high, creating an unstable pile that could collapse. It also claims that the pile of lumber Steinback was trying to move when he died weighed “9,300-12,000 pounds” and “significantly exceeded” the weight limit for the forklift’s safety cage.

The complaint further alleges that Steinback was hired only about a month before the fatal incident, saying he operated the forklift without adequate supervision even though he was still only an intern.

An employee at the company “told OSHA [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration] The complaint alleges that employees were often pressured by contractors to work quickly and that new employees were rushed through forklift training without proper training and with minimal monitoring.

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The lawsuit alleges that Steinback “died tragically, prematurely and wrongfully” due to “grossly negligent conduct” by the company and several of Steinback’s co-workers at the time.

However, in an order issued on February 17, Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Court Judge Joseph R. Klein dismissed all claims brought by Steinbach’s family in the wrongful death lawsuit.

The judge said the indictment did not sufficiently allege that Maynards intentionally caused harm to Steinbach, which would be the only reason the family would be entitled to damages in excess of workers’ compensation benefits.

The judge also said the complaint did not sufficiently allege Steinback’s co-workers committed gross negligence and did not cause intentional harm. He also said that generally, safe working conditions are the responsibility of the employer, not the individual employee.

Attorneys for Steinback’s mother and Maynards’ attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment on the latest ruling.

In a GoFundMe created when Steinbach’s mother died, she said her son “was an outstanding young man.”

“He excelled in everything he put his mind to. Anything he put his mind to was accomplished,” she continued. “His soul filled every room with light and happiness. He was so excited about his work.”

Read the original article on People