Residents in the Boston area may be interested to hear of a lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court that intends to hold Walmart accountable for the bad safety practices of contractors and subcontractors the retail corporation hired to build and renovate stores. The plaintiffs seek $5 million in damages for the electrocution death of an immigrant worker from Brazil.

The fatal workplace injury happened at a demolition job in Walpole. A crew of Brazilian immigrant workers had been hired to tear down store walls, and it was the first night on the job for the man who was electrocuted. The lawsuit in Middlesex claims that the workers, who worked into the night, were not made aware of live electrical wires on the job. As the men worked, all the lights suddenly went out, and sparks began to fly.

When police arrived on the scene, the deceased man had been badly burned and fatally electrocuted.

According to the lawsuit, which disclosed state inspection records, a subcontractor hired by Walmart hired a licensed Massachusetts electrician for the sole purpose of obtaining permits. The subcontractor then used unlicensed electricians on the work site.

The lawsuit in Middlesex goes on to say that Walmart construction sites have been characterized by a pattern of unsafe practices. Contractors in numerous states have apparently been cited for using unlicensed contractors and hiring licensed workers only to obtain permits.

An attorney for the deceased worker's family claimed that Walmart hired untrained, unsupervised and unlicensed workers in order to cut costs.

Readers in Massachusetts know that employers have a legal obligation to ensure a reasonable degree of workplace safety. When employers fail to meet their obligations and instead try to cut costs, too often workers are injured, sometimes fatally. Workers who have been hurt on the job will want to explore all of their legal options to secure the due compensation for their injuries.

Source: boston.com, "Suit raises questions about contractor safety," Megan Woolhouse, Feb. 5, 2012