Horrifying Work Accident

SAN BERNARDINO (CN) - In a horrifying complaint, a widow claims her husband was pulled into a meat grinder at work and killed.

Guadalupe Montes Beas and her children sued Weiler West, which allegedly "designed, manufactured and/or sold the meat blender" to Central Valley Meat Co., which is not a defendant in the Superior Court complaint.

Montes and her children sued only Weiler West, on their own behalf and for their late husband and father, Leopoldo Gutierrez.

Gutierrez died on Feb. 28, 2011, while working for Central Valley Meat in Hanford, Calif., according to the complaint.

His widow says that Gutierrez "was cleaning and or maintaining the meat grinder when ... suddenly, and unbeknownst to Leopold Gutierrez, the meat grinder [w]as placed into operation by someone at CVMC other than plaintiff while Leopoldo Gutierrez was working on the machine."

"As soon as the meat grinder was placed into operation, it began to pull Leopoldo Gutierrez into the meat grinder. Leopoldo Gutierrez was unaware that anyone was going to turn on the meat grinder and was unaware that anyone was in the boning room to do any maintenance on the meat grinder and was unaware that anyone was taking any action to turn on the meat grinder.

"Leopoldo Gutierrez was pulled into the meat grinder and ... multiple body parts were grinded into the meat grinder, resulting in excruciating pain to Leopoldo Gutierrez and ultimately resulted in the gruesome and painful death of Leopoldo Gutierrez."

The family seeks damages for negligence, wrongful death, product liability, breach of warranty, funeral expenses and pain and suffering. They are represented by David Garcia with Tafoya & Garcia, of Los Angeles.

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