The family of a man who died from electrocution is suing the companies that made and brought to market the crane on which he died.
William Seay, as administrator of the estate of William Brice Seay, filed a lawsuit June 12 in Cook County Circuit Court against Manitex International Inc., five unnamed manufacturers and five unnamed distributors.
According to the complaint, William Brice Seay died wrongfully Aug. 27, 2014, as a result of the negligent "design, testing, labeling, promoting, advertising, marketing, distribution, warning and instructing and selling" of the defendants' hydraulic boom crane truck.
Specifically, the lawsuit states, the deceased was electrocuted as a result of the truck's lack of "an insulating link that would prevent electrocution injuries."
An insulating link, the lawsuit states, should be used on the crane's load wire to protect operators who are loading materials on the crane, preventing electricity from being transmitted from the line to the crane components. The plaintiff alleges a negligent design defect, negligent failure to warn and instruct, breach of implied warranty, survival and wrongful death.
William Seay seeks unspecified damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, plus attorney fees and costs. He is is represented by attorney Jonathan D. Goslow, of the Miller Firm in Orange, Va.
Cook County Circuit Court Case No.: 15-L-5989.