The Babcock Law Firm has remained open during the coronavirus pandemic in order to protect workers and their loved ones. Lead attorney and founder R. Mack Babcock was featured in The New York Times magazine for his involvement in a recent claim filed against a meat-processing plant.
Since the first positive test in the United States, more than 100 meat-processing plants have reported outbreaks of COVID-19. Crowded work conditions mean more than 44,000 workers have tested positive for the coronavirus and over 200 have died, according to data from the Food & Environment Report Network.
COVID outbreak at JBS meatpacking
A JBS meat-packing plant in Greeley, CO is now facing a $15,615 fine from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after the death of 6 employees.
Among those whose claims have been denied is the family of Daniel Avila Loma (65), 1 of the 6 employees at JBS who died from COVID-19. Loma’s family is being represented by Mack, who told The New York Times:
“It’s a game of attrition. I think it’s immoral, and I think it’s nauseating.”
JBS’ response to the outbreak
Nikki Richardson, a spokeswoman for JBS, wrote in an email stating the citation from OSHA is “entirely without merit.”
Since the outbreak at JBS occurred in April 2020, the company is arguing that it was operating without guidelines on how to handle COVID-19. Since then, more than $182 million have been allocated towards improving workers’ safety with an additional $160 million towards workers’ compensation. But the new safety measures don’t help the families of those who’ve already lost a loved one.
Receiving workers’ compensation for COVID-19 in Colorado is extremely “iffy” because it falls to the worker to provide proof of who, when and where they contracted the disease.
Not only that, according to § 8-40-201 of the Colorado Workers’ Compensation Act, it must be considered an “occupational disease.” Unless you’re a health practitioner, the odds of winning such a case in any other profession is virtually impossible.
All hope isn’t lost
Our experienced Colorado injury lawyers can help you receive the compensation you deserve. Just because your claim was denied the first time, you can still appeal it in court. The Babcock Law Firm remains open during the pandemic so that we can continue serving Colorado workers.
Mack Babcock founded his own law firm in 2007 to serve the communities of Denver, Littleton, Aurora and the state of Colorado by helping stand for justice and protect injured individuals from modern day bullies like corporate America and insurance carriers.
Along with his team of expert trial attorneys, Mack and The Babcock Law Firm help injured individuals in all kinds of legal matters, from work-related injuries and insurance disputes to car accidents and other personal injury cases.
