An employee at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina has sued its management and operations contractor for more than $75,000, alleging he was severely injured while working on a trailer that had not been safely maintained.
The lawsuit, filed Nov. 7 in U.S. District Court for South Carolina, says Henry Bradley was working for liquid waste contractor Savannah River Remediation (SRR) at the time of the Nov. 15, 2015, accident. However, he is suing Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS) because the site management prime was responsible for maintaining the trailer, according to the complaint.
Savannah River Remediation is a partnership of AECOM, Bechtel National, CH2M, and BWX Technologies. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions is a partnership of Fluor, Honeywell, and Stoller Newport News Nuclear.
The complaint does not specify how long Bradley worked for SRR or his job title, but says his duties required him to “load and haul certain waste and other loads.” In November 2015, Bradley was securing a load of material to the floor of a trailer so he could haul the material, the lawsuit says. He then fell through one of the holes in “rotted wood,” causing injuries to his spine, groin, and right shoulder.
In April 2015, seven months before the incident, SRNS deemed the trailer to be in safe condition, according to the lawsuit. “Accordingly, Defendant held a duty of ordinary care to keep the trailer in a reasonably safe condition,” the lawsuit states. “Defendant breached this duty by failing to remedy the rotted wood and holes that existed in the flooring.”
The suit states Bradley worked for SRR at the time of the incident, but does not say whether he remains employed at the site. A call to his legal team was not returned before press time.
The complaint also does not list his specific injuries, but generally says Bradley suffered permanent scarring, long-term bodily harm, and mental suffering, among other harm. The lawsuit says Bradley’s injuries have cost more than $66,000 in medical expenses and have limited his ability to work.
Bradley is seeking at least $75,000, payment of all legal fees, and a trial by jury. Savannah River Nuclear Solutions has not yet responded to the suit.
Over the summer, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions received a contract extension that keeps it on the job up through July 31, 2019. Its work at the site includes management of the Savannah River National Laboratory, some environmental remediation, and production of tritium for U.S. nuclear weapons.
