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Mississippi Poultry Plant Death
Mar-Jac Poultry in Hattiesburg, Miss., shown in July 26, 2023. The mother of a 16-year-old who died in a workplace accident at the Mississippi poultry factory is suing the companies who hired him to work at the plant, accusing them of failing to follow safety standards that would have prevented his death. (Lici Beveridge/Hattiesburg American via AP)

A teenage worker died in a poultry plant. His mother is suing the companies that hired him

The mother of a 16-year-old who died in a workplace accident at a Mississippi poultry factory is suing the companies that hired and employed him

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG
Published - Feb 06, 2024, 07:06 PM ET
Last Updated - Feb 06, 2024, 07:06 PM EST

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The mother of a 16-year-old who died in a workplace accident at a Mississippi poultry factory is suing the companies that hired and employed him, accusing them of failing to follow safety standards that could have prevented his death.

In court papers filed at the Forest County Circuit Court last week, attorneys for Edilma Perez Ramirez said Mar-Jac Poultry skirted safety protections, leading to the death of her son Duvan Perez. The lawsuit follows a January report by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration that declared numerous safety violations related to the death of the teenager, who immigrated to Mississippi from Guatemala years ago.

“Mar-Jac and its affiliates have a long and sordid history of willful disregard for worker safety,” the lawsuit reads.

A Mar-Jac spokesperson did not respond to email and phone messages Tuesday. In previous statements, the company has said it relied on a staffing agency to hire workers and didn't know Duvan was underage. Federal labor law bans the hiring of minors in several hazardous work sites, including slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants.

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