WINFIELD — A man is suing Metal Partners Rebar for injuries he sustained while working.
BRG Holdings was also named as a defendant in the suit.
Dalton Cook was employed by the defendants and was working in Winfield on March 25, 2019, operating a rebar bending machine, according to a complaint filed in Putnam Circuit Court.
Cook claims he had never received any training or instruction concerning the proper and safe use of the machine and it was only the second time he had operated the rebar bending machine.
The defendant failed to properly maintain the machine and he was injured, according to the suit.
"The Defendants' failure included...the failure to have in place all protective shields and/or guards in order to minimize the chance that the Defendants' employees...would be injured while operating the rebar bending machine," the complaint states.
Cook claims the rebar bending machine was also defective.
"Pursuant to...standards, the Defendants had a duty to ensure that the Plaintiff was properly trained before requiring him to operate the rebar bending machine he was required to use on March 25, 2019," the complaint states.
Cook claims his left hand was crushed when it went through the machine and several fingers on his left hand were severely injured.
The defendants' failure to properly maintain the machine and properly train the plaintiff were the cause of Cook's injuries and damages, according to the suit. Their failure exposed Cook to a hazardous condition.
Cook is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. He is represented by Robert H. Miller II of The Sutter Law Firm in Charleston and Bernard E. Layne III of Mani, Ellis & Layne in Charleston.
Putnam Circuit Court case number: 21-C-138