The management and operations contractor for the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site could be headed to trial near the end of the year over a federal negligence lawsuit filed in November by a site employee.
A scheduling order filed Monday in U.S. District Court for South Carolina outlines tasks that must be completed by plaintiff Henry Bradley and defendant Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS).
Bradley’s suit, filed on Nov. 7, says he was injured on Nov. 15, 2015, because SRNS failed to properly maintain a trailer used to ship materials across the 310-square-site in Aiken, S.C. At the time of the alleged incident, Bradley was working for liquid waste contractor Savannah River Remediation (SRR).
According to the schedule, jury selection in the case is slated for Nov. 18, followed by the start of the trial.
Several tasks must be completed before the trial can occur. For starters, Bradley’s legal team must provide the court with contact information for each person it might call as an expert witness. That information must be submitted by April 12, and SRNS must submit its own witness list by May 13.
The discovery portion of the case, which includes gathering of evidence and interviewing of potential witnesses, must be completed by Sept. 13. The parties must then engage in mediation by Oct. 15.
According to the complaint, Bradley was securing a load of unspecified material to the floor of a trailer so he could haul it off, when he fell through one of the holes in “rotted wood,” causing injuries to his spine, groin, and right shoulder.
Bradley’s legal team says SRNS was responsible for maintaining the trailer, and had deemed it in safe condition in April 2015, about seven months before the incident. Bradley said his injuries have caused him to accumulate more than $66,000 in medical expenses and have limited his ability to work. He is seeking at least $75,000, payment of all legal fees, and a trial by jury.
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions has denied the claims, and asked on Nov. 29 for the case to be dismissed.
