When Rocky Stoner was killed during a construction accident at Sparks Cedarlee Farms in Cassopolis in mid-2019, he was electrocuted. Now, his estate has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against three parties in the Cass County case.
Stoner was 19 years old on May 23, 2019, when he was electrocuted while tasked with building a new storage facility for farm use. Rocky was holding and guiding a metal truss in place while another worker, operating a GEHL telescoping handler (cherry picker), was raising and moving the truss, which hit a power line.
Attorney Randall Levine, managing partner of Levine & Levine Attorneys At Law in Kalamazoo, says, “Though Rocky’s mother, Tracy Reeves, realizes that money will not bring back her son, we strongly believe the owners of the farm, the manufacturer of the kit-style building, and the heavy equipment rental company are culpable for his death.”
Those named in the suit include:
- Sparks Cedarlee Farms, Rocky Stoner’s employer
- AK Enterprises LLC, manufacturer of the pre-fabricated kit style structures
- Wakarusa Heavy Equipment, the company that owned and rented the GEHL cherry picker to Sparks Cedarlee Farms
The complaint, which has been filed in Cass County Circuit Court, alleges, among other things, that Sparks Cedarlee Farms placed Rocky in danger by directing him to install the AK building in an unsafe environment without taking required safety precautions that would have prevented the tragic incident.
The Complaint further establishes that:
- AK Enterprises failed to instruct and/or warn consumers for the safe assembly and installation of its building, including in the vicinity of live overhead power lines
- Wakarusa Heavy Equipment breached its legal duty to ensure that those operating its aerial lift equipment have appropriate training and certification for safe operation of the equipment.
Levine contends, “Rocky’s estate is entitled to recover monetary damages deemed fair and just due to the wrongful death,” and adds, “Michigan’s Wrongful Death Statute allows a recovery for the pain and suffering endured by Rocky during the period between the time of the injury and his death; and reasonable medical, hospital, funeral, and burial expenses.
Levine goes on to say, “Rocky was a star athlete at Marcellus High School. He had just been accepted into the Michigan State Police Academy. He was the editor of the school newspaper. He was a great kid who did not deserve to die at 19 years old. The complaint seeks to hold those responsible accountable.”
Sparks Cedarlee Farms is an 1,100 acre, pasture-based dairy, and organic milk producer for the region.
