Truck Porter Dies From Head Injury Complications When He Fell From Either the ICC Bumper or Deck of a Semi-Trailer - Michigan
Michigan Case Report: 12MI054
SUMMARY
In summer 2012, a male truck porter in his 60s died due to head injuries sustained in an unwitnessed fall. The truck trailer had been loaded with empty kegs which had been shrink-wrapped and placed on pallets. The pallet-keg combination weighing approximately 470 pounds was loaded by forklift into the trailer. When the trailer was loaded, the decedent drove the semi-truck/trailer to the fueling area. The decedent opened the trailer door to place the shipping manifest in the semi-trailer. Although the injury sequence of events was unknown, the decedent most likely used the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) bumper to access the trailer deck. It is unknown if the decedent was on the ICC bumper or had stepped up onto the deck at the time of his fall. In an attempt to regain his balance, he grabbed the shrink-wrapped kegs and as he fell, the kegs and pallet were pulled down with him. The decedent was found by a coworker lying on his back on the ground with a wooden pallet on his legs and empty kegs strewn around him. The coworker ran to a nearby building and requested assistance. Emergency response was called, and the decedent was transported to a local hospital where he died several days later from the head injuries sustained at the time of the incident. The incident investigation found one shipping manifest on the deck of the trailer and the second manifest under the trailer.