"Lawsuit filing: Knox County mine ‘actually intended to injure or kill’ employee", 12 July 2022

"A new lawsuit against the Nyrstar mining company is alleging that company representatives “intended to injure or kill” one of their employees last July.

The suit stems from an accident that killed one miner and injured two others. According to a federal incident report, Gerald Turbyville, 68, was killed when rock fell from the roof of the Strawberry Plains zinc mine, hitting him in the head and back...

According to the documents, Turbyville was working in an area of the mine known for being unsafe with his two coworkers. The suit alleged that the area of the mine Turbyville was working in did not have the supports needed to create a safe working area. While Turbyville was working, rock began falling from the roof around him and his coworkers, the filing said. The crew’s foreman, Terry Pratt, then told the employees to leave the dangerous area, the suit said.

Shortly after, however, a member of upper management directed the employees, including Turbyville, to return to the dangerous section of the mine and continue working, according to the documents. It was after this that Turbyville was struck by the falling rock and killed.

The suit further alleged that, since the mine’s upper management knew how dangerous that area of the mine was, they “intended” to injure or kill Turbyville and his crew..."