PARRIS Law Firm: Cal/OSHA employee affirms Weyerhaeuser withheld video evidence in workplace injury

LOS ANGELES, April 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- During a recorded deposition testimony, an employee with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (a.k.a. Cal/OSHA) testified under oath that Weyerhaeuser withheld key evidence in a lawsuit involving a man severely injured while loading lumber onto a truck.

As the case continues, Weyerhaeuser is accused of continuing to withhold evidence that could show the exact nature of the incident, the safety of the worksite location before and during the incident, what the response was, and more. Also, Weyerhaeuser is withholding their own incident report, choosing instead to provide a PowerPoint presentation which appears to quote the hidden report even though the company will not turn the actual report over despite several requests both by the plaintiff's attorneys and a court order.

• During testimony, the OSHA investigator testified that Weyerhaeuser "didn't supply all of the documents we wanted…limiting me to what might have been serious citations to just issuing general citations."
• One of the key areas of interest is any potential videotape of the incident in which the plaintiff was injured. When asked if Weyerhaeuser produced any of the video taken by the cameras at the lumber yard, the investigator responded: "…no, I don't remember that they ever did." He went on to explain that despite his requests, Weyerhaeuser refused to produce the video claiming, it was too dark for the video to see anything.

Full deposition transcript: https://www.parrislawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/OSHA-Rep-Depo-Transcript.pdf

"It could not be more obvious that Weyerhaeuser is attempting to cover up its own negligent behavior toward anyone who works in and around its areas of operation," said PARRIS Law Firm attorney R. Rex Parris. "The question is how deep this cover-up runs and how many other instances are there where severely injured workers were left helpless by this timber giant," R. Rex Parris added.

Background

A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court alleges Weyerhaeuser, one of the world's largest private owners of timberlands, is guilty of creating an unsafe working environment that led to severe injuries for truck driver Peter Alfaro. The proceeding litigation exposed an alleged attempt by Weyerhaeuser to suppress evidence that would show that an employee was essentially left for dead.

In October of 2015, Peter Alfaro was dispatched to pick up lumber from one of Weyerhaeuser's lumberyard facilities. While Alfaro attempted to secure the load for transportation, the freight fell on top of him and pinned him to the ground. Making matters worse, Peter was helplessly trapped for almost an hour before finally being discovered. Peter still suffers from the injuries he sustained that day. Peter continues to receive medical treatment and will continue to do so for the rest of his life.

On January 25, 2019, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered Weyerhaeuser to turn over relevant materials to the case "within 30 days." However, this order was ignored by Weyerhaeuser's attorneys who filed a petition claiming the incident report was privileged information. On March 8, 2019, The Second Appellate District Court for the State of California ruled against Weyerhaeuser's petition to withhold the incident report.  

"Peter, like many Americans, is a hard-working man who was revictimized by a large corporation playing callous legal games," said attorney Khail A. Parris. "Peter deserves justice, and we will pursue all legal avenues to ensure that he receives that justice," Khail A. Parris concluded.

The case is Peter and Silvia Alfaro v. Weyerhaeuser Company, Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. BC646685.

About The PARRIS Law Firm

PARRIS Law Firm has dedicated the past 33 years to representing families affected by catastrophic injuries as a result of someone else's negligent actions. The experienced team at PARRIS, a Los Angeles County-based business, fight tirelessly against corporate defense attorneys to make sure their clients are fairly compensated for their pain and suffering. PARRIS has secured numerous multi-million dollar victories for their clients, including a historic, record-breaking defamation jury verdict in Los Angeles for $370 million, a $135 million wage-and-hour class action settlement, and a $56 million jury verdict for their client who was catastrophically injured in a big rig accident.  Considered one of the top Personal Injury, Employment, and Environmental law firms in the country, the PARRIS Law Firm has the proven skill and track record to help families in need. Recognized by top publications such as U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyer's ® magazine, Super Lawyers®, and Top Attorney's® in California, the PARRIS Law Firm has what it takes to make sure justice is served. For more information, visit parrislawyers.com.

Media Contact:

Dante Hickles dhickles@parrislawyers.com (661) 949-2595

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