Lawsuit Cites Mine, Caterpillar in Worker's Death

Dec. 23, 2024
David Warren was repairing a mining shovel in the mine the day he was killed, the lawsuit said.

By: Sara Schilling
Source: Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.) (TNS)

A 23-year-old contract welder’s death at a coal mine in New Mexico happened because of “a series of safety lapses and a failed emergency response,” his family’s attorneys said.

David Warren was partially crushed by a piece of heavy equipment in August 2022, according to a lawsuit filed Dec. 9 by his family.

When he was hurt, “no one called 911,” the lawsuit said.

Instead, a worker called a life flight company, “avoiding reporting to local authorities,” the lawsuit said. The mine “provided the wrong coordinates to the emergency responders” and “Warren died still waiting for a life flight, more than an hour later,” the suit said.