From left, Alexis Gomer, Hannah Kendall and Jade Garza, all of Sterling, Ill., detasseled corn together. Hannah and Jade were electrocuted July 25 while detasseling in Tampico, Ill.
Posted on 08/08/2011 7:01:15 PM PDT by Western Phil
The father of a girl electrocuted while detasseling corn in a Whiteside County farm field is suing Monsanto Co. and four other defendants for negligence.
Hannah Kendall, 14, and Jade Garza, 14, both of Sterling, Ill., were killed in the July 25 accident.
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Smith said witnesses told him Jade stepped into a puddle that was electrified, and she and Hannah, who grabbed her, were electrocuted.
The electrical current came from a damaged meter connected to a central pivot irrigation system, Smith said in the lawsuit. He added that the girls did not necessarily come into contact with the irrigator itself.
Hannah and Jade were among 72 people hired by Monsanto to detassel corn in the 160-acre farm outside Tampico, Ill.
snip--
Both Monsanto and the Matthews couple have claimed that lightning struck and damaged the meter box connected to the irrigator and that the damage might have been a factor in the accident. Both Monsanto and the Matthews couple have said the electricity had been shut off to the site before the accident.
Read more: http://www.qctimes.com/news/local/article_b0be64a2-bfa1-11e0-a0a4-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1UU6x2pOc
(Excerpt) Read more at qctimes.com ...
Had not seen the term irrigator used for anything besides dental applications before.
In the old days cattle were killed by current return through bad grounding. In the old days. This is not the old days. Breakers should have been popping everywhere for a ground fault, apparently that didn't happen. Someone is very much at fault here.
Why wasn’t the electricity turned off?
First off, if it was a defective meter, the power company owns the meter, and they should have been called out, not some electrician. Secondly, why would it be a problem for the electrician to live with the accident that happened to the girls if he had so many storm calls that he was working them in order of receiving the calls, and someone else sent the girls out to work in danger before he could get out to perform that particular service call?
Good question. Sounds to me like nobody called to utility company to come turn it off.
Both Monsanto and the Matthews couple have said the electricity had been shut off to the site before the accident
Are you saying that if you were the electriction you wouldn’t feel any regret for not do that job first?
With the benefit of hindsight, I know I would.
From left, Alexis Gomer, Hannah Kendall and Jade Garza, all of Sterling, Ill., detasseled corn together. Hannah and Jade were electrocuted July 25 while detasseling in Tampico, Ill.
http://www.qctimes.com/news/local/article_c4afb46c-b6ea-11e0-a516-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1UUx7fBSo
You don't even see the tiny little illegal labor issue problem here, do you?
Just the normal family farm business with child slave laborers in farm country, is it?
In the USA, in 2011?
I don't think anyone is going to buy what you are trying to sell here.
Plenty of teens earn extra money in the summertime. In fact, not enough of them have the chance, due to the ridiculous minimum wage laws.
So I have no problem with the kids both working but clearly there was a hazard and although I’m a lawyer I hate the “sue first” culture we have but I think this one has merit from what I’ve seen.
I have a serious problem with people like you making a living twisting laws against people like me, for your own livelihood.
Guees endangering 11-14 year old girls is fair game in your world.
This most likely isn’t a ‘factory farm’ whatever THAT is.
Most often I see that term used to belittle the farming families who band togather for economies of scale.
This looks like a family farm (like those which produce over 90% of our food) that has a contract with a large agri-business company for the production.
First of all they were both 14.
14 year olds do work.
Second I have no problem sleeping. Thanks!
Can you read? I said I have problems with our “sue first” culture but in this case I support the parents because clearly there was a problem with the electrical system, not necessarily the job itself.
I suppose you’re one of those hysterical “there otta be a law” types anytime something bad happens.
But as far as problems with lawsuits: Lawsuit abuse is a HUGE problem driving up the costs of EVERYTHING! I guess you were a John Edwards supporter, that’s how he made is fortune after all.
Are you the mother of this child? If so, I’m sorry for your loss. If not, Why are you taking this so personally?
No, not really, because the statement is completely unattributed.
“Are you saying that if you were the electriction you wouldn’t feel any regret for not do that job first?”
anybody would, but he would have had no way of knowing which job of many to do first to prevent a future unknown accidental event
Huh?
Wierd rant, dude.
Additional reading seems to indicate that the irrigation system dates back to 1976 (lots of time for anything electrical to age and deteriorate) and that it is hydraulically driven, which means there would be no electric wires along the pipe. If the pump is not electrically driven, I don’t see any need for electric power to the system. Google-Earth does not have a good picture for this farm and I cannot identify the well.
Apparently the property owners do not live on the farm and were on vacation at the time of the accident. A cold front with accompanying rain & thunderstorms had moved through the area on the previous day, Sunday.
Raising hybrid seed corn takes specialized equipment and I am sure the land owner does very little of the work except maybe for soil preparation and in this case any necessary irrigation.
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