WHEELING – A man and his wife are suing Koppers after he claims he was injured while at his place of work.
On Feb. 17, 2015, Jeffery Yost was employed by Koppers as a worker and was working at the Follansbee Plant, according a complaint filed Jan. 12 in Brooke Circuit Court and removed to federal court on Feb. 9.
Yost claims prior to Feb. 17, 2015, multiple workers fell on the ice surrounding the cooling tower and the defendant was aware that the ground area around the cooling tower was unsafe due to the ice.
Despite the fact that the defendant knew of the unsafe, low visibility around the cooling tower, the defendant failed to take any corrective or preventative action to correct or alleviate the known, unsafe low visibility, according to the suit.
Yost claims while he was walking on the ground near the cooling tower, he slipped and fell on the ice, causing severe and disfiguring personal injuries, including a fractured and misaligned right fibula and fractured right ankle.
The defendant failed to inspect all work and/or activities being performed at the Follansbee Plant to ensure that all safety standards, rules and regulations were being maintained and followed by all workers and/or personnel and failed to conduct an adequate job safety analysis and/or a hazard assessment for the work to be performed by Yost, according to the suit.
Yost claims the defendant failed to ensure a workplace free of recognized hazards; failed to ensure workers were properly trained, instructed and utilized safety equipment; failed to ensure that the Follansbee Plant was kept and maintained in a safe operating condition; and failed to conduct a proper job safety analysis prior to commencing work.
Yost and his wife, Ruth Yost, are seeking compensatory damages with pre- and post-judgment interest. They are being represented by Eric T. Chaffin and Patrick C. Booth of Chaffin Luhana.
Koppers is represented by Vaughn K. Schultz and J.R. Hall of Dickie McCamey & Chilcote.
The case is assigned to District Judge John Preston Bailey.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia case number: 5:17-cv-00020