Worthington Industries plans to appeal Tuesday’s jury decision to award a Bowerston area truck driver’s estate $3.7 million in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Robert L. Romig Jr., 64, of 34270 Bower Rd. died June 20, 2005.
“This was a tragic accident, and Worthington was deeply saddened by Mr. Romig’s death in 2005,” Cathy M. Lyttle, vice president of corporate communications and investor relations, said in a statement issued Wednesday for Worthington Industries at Columbus.
“We believe, however, that the court failed to properly apply the law of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, as well as the interpretation of those regulations by the U.S. Supreme Court which states that the responsibility for the placement, distribution and securement of cargo is given exclusively to the licensed commercial truck driver.”
The lawsuit against Worthington Cylinder Corp., a subsidiary of Worthington Industries, was filed in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court by Robert Romig’s widow, Sandra Romig, also executrix of the estate, and on behalf of the couple’s four adult children.
Robert Romig was hauling a load of propane tanks in cradles. He was at Loudon, N.H., and had to climb onto the second level to attach the hook of a hydraulic crane for unloading those cradles.
The 2,600-pound cradle and tanks fell onto Romig, crushing him.
Romig drove for Baker Hi-Way Express Inc. at Dover, which initially was named in the lawsuit but later was dismissed and has gone out of business.
The verdict is believed to be one of the largest in the history of Tuscarawas County.
by Lee Morrison